Chromosome X
by Demiyah
Summary: Peace has returned to the shinobi world. Or not?... What will Gaara do with the blind girl that seems his only clue about the enemy? They will find out things aren't always black and white. And with the possibility of war on his doorstep, does love have a place in his heart? Gaara x OC
1. Chapter 1: One Summer Day at the Inn

**Disclaimer: all original characters from Naruto have spawned from the creative brain of Masashi Kishimoto :) **

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Summary:

The war has come to an end and peace returned to the world. Or not? Now strange occurrences have happened. People have gone missing, shinobi killed without reason. First the small nations, now the big. Who is behind these evil deeds and why? As Kazekage, Gaara needs to step up to defend his people. During a covert mission he finds a girl who could be their first crucial link to finding the enemy. What role does the blind Ayumi further play? And amidst their trials, is there room for their growing affections...?

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_"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." - Helen Keller_

Chapter 1: One Summer Day at the Inn 

"Can you bring this to table six, puppet?" The middle-aged man asked his niece. He had smile lines around his eyes and a round belly. The brown headed girl nodded and the tray with platters got pressed into her hands. The smell of yellow curry with coconut rice and beef noodle soup rose into her nostrils.

"Table six, five orders right?"

"Yes, that's right. Two soups, one curry and two portions of dango" the man replied.

"Alright," she said and turned to walk off, each foot carefully placed after another. The man watched her disappear through the door opening to the restaurant before turning back to his stove.

Ayumi worked at the "River's Fortune", their family inn on the outskirts of Tanigakure, the main capital of the Land of Rivers. The inn's location lay on route to Suna and was next to the main road to Takumi Village, otherwise known as Village of Artisans, where many ninja tools were crafted. Nowadays their clientele had diminished. Nonetheless the inn remained a popular refuge for ninja's hitting Tanigakure. This day was not unlike any other.  
Ayumi walked passed the bar on her right and the two-seat tables on her left. At the other end of the restaurant was number six: a round low table with different colored cushions as seats suitable for up to seven guests. She felt the structure of the bamboo mat under her bare feet. Different smells drifted from all directions…food… sweat… sake… lotus perfume… A mix of scents familiar to her after all these years. She could hear the chatter of young voices ahead.

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you won't let me treat you to anything? The waitress is coming, we can order now, _dattebayo_."

"No thanks Naruto, I'm not so hungry."

"You sure?"

"Yes, besides you don't have to treat me. This isn't a date."

Ayumi couldn't help but smile a little at his sulky sobs after he got turned down.

"Ah, I can smell the curry!" someone said enthusiastically.

Ayumi lowered herself to her knees, the platters jangling against each other.

"Dango?" she asked, keeping her eyes lowered.

"Those would be for me," a voice drawled. The fingers of her free hand brushed past the rims of the plates until she found one with dango and placed it carefully in front of her guest.

"Another portion of dango?"

"Me, thank you," someone older and masculine. She smiled and followed the same procedure.

"That curry smells great! Is it spicy?"

"You asked for extra spices right, sir?" Ayumi replied.

"Yes! What a large serving! If I won't be able to finish this I will have to do three-hundred push-ups!"

"Isn't that a little exaggerate, Lee," commented the older of their group.

"Yeah, Lee. You'll get acid reflux if you work out right after eating, if you don't already get it from all those spices."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, nothing a Leaf shinobi can't handle." He gave her a bright smile and thumbs up.

So they were from the Leaf? Her ears perked up. One thing she liked about working in the restaurant were the interesting facts she could overhear from ninja that visited them. How exciting the life of a shinobi. Sometimes she wished she were able to go out for an adventure, although she was sure to miss the inn and her family not after long. Someone's stomach growled.

"Not hungry right, Sakura?" the guy she handed the platter first chuckled, "perhaps you're on a diet? I've read girls are always concerned about getting fat."

"Sai, don't say that so blatantly," Sakura retorted.

Ayumi was surprised how carefree these ninja conversed with one another, usually the shinobi guests kept quiet, with an air of secrecy about them. These seemed a lot more approachable. The thought struck her that life as a ninja could even be fun. After she handed everyone their plate she stood up with the tray held in front of her and gave them a short bow.

"Dig in! Hope you enjoy. Just let me know if you need anything!"

"We'll do, thank you!"

Ayumi flashed them a smile and turned around towards the kitchen. Sai and Sakura watched the girl's back as she walked away. The barwoman brought her to a halt, giving her two bottles of beer for some other guests. They seemed to be family, the waitress resembled her a lot.

"Wasn't it strange she wouldn't look us in the eyes?" Sakura said with hushed voice while leaning forward. Sai nodded thinking the same, wondering if he had come across another wondrous aspect of female behaviour.

"This inn is popular amongst shinobi," Kakashi replied, "which means all kinds of dangerous nin come her for refreshments or beds. Ninja are prone to violence if they are spied on, but it's unavoidable to overhear secrets at times. Perhaps the staff has made a habit of preserving their guest's anonymity by avoiding looking at them. It could also be to avoid getting into conflicts with hot-headed ninja who take offense quickly."

"That could explain," Sai said, watching the girl talk to the barwoman.

"Uhm… what if she's blind?" Hinata suggested with a small voice.

"What makes you think that?" Sakura asked.

"Well," she started, twirling her finger around a strand of hair nervously for making such a bold suggestion, "her eyes were looking straight in front of her most of the time, but it was as if she didn't focus."

"And she touched the rims of the plates before she handed them over, almost like she didn't see the food…" Sai continued.  
"Are you all nuts? How could a blind person work in an inn so self-assured," Naruto exclaimed, "look! She's heading towards those two baboons there without hitting anything!" They watched her take a corner and step around someone heading for the toilets.

"I agree with Naruto," Lee added.

"What does it matter. Maybe Kakashi's right, maybe Hinata, or maybe she's just strange like Sakura seems to suggest. It seems plausible, most girls have something strange," Sai said and ate a dango from the skewer. Sakura shook her head and Hinata cocked up her eyebrows wondering if that applied to her too, remembering Naruto once said to her he thought her strange. She tried to eat her ramen without spilling anything to avoid attracting attention. She looked up shyly at Naruto, feeling self-conscious, and saw him noisily stuffing his mouth and slurping up the noodle strings without shame. A giggle escaped her lips and she instantly felt more comfortable.

"Naruto, you animal!" Sakura snapped at the blond-headed boy and they all laughed at her reaction, Naruto scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're not eating your dango?" Naruto asked to diverse attention. Instantly they all tensed up. The mystery of Kakashi's hidden facial features had not been solved even after years of knowing him. It had become custom to pay attention to Kakashi once he was going to eat.

"We're not in a rush right," he replied lazy eyed, seemingly oblivious to their anxious looks.

Meanwhile Ayumi stopped next to table two. She felt the stares of the men in front of her as she set the two glasses on the polished wooden surface and poured them their drinks. They didn't say anything but she felt something in her stomach like she was observed. It had happened once that a guest crossed a certain line. It ended up in a nasty row that created an extra opening to the backyard. So, to avoid trouble she would endure.

"You work here every day, girly?" one of them said, his voice more coarse than she had expected.

"Every day," she replied him cheerfully, trying to mask her nervousness, "it's a family run inn after all, we have no other personnel besides our own relatives."

"How's business now the war's over?" he said mockingly, as though he already knew that now the big nation's had made peace the amount of shinobi travellers to Tanigakure had diminished to only a few. Because of their reputation as a ninja-inn the other folk still avoided their establishment.

"We're fine, thank you," she mumbled. She was done pouring the second drink and about to turn away when his friend who had remained silent dragged his arm across the table, topping the glass off the edge. Her ears twitched. She ducked in a gasp, swooping the glass in mid-air. Half of the liquid spilled on the bamboo mat and on the shoe of her guest. Ayumi's face turned into a flustered grimace. She bowed deeply whilst holding the glass.

"I'm- I'm terribly sorry!" Ayumi stuttered. The men remained silent.

"The drinks are on the house!"

They exchanged looks before turning to watch Ayumi, her hair falling in front of her face from how deeply she was bowing.

"Just get me a towel for my shoe and him another drink," the man huffed more amused than angry.

Her inner-self sighed in relief. Spilled beer on his shoe. Thankfully nothing worse came from it. Her face felt hot. She hurried back to the bar and bumped into the corner of an empty table, hurting her thigh. She ignored the pain and snickers behind her back.

"It's fine honey," her mom said reassuringly, having watched the incident, "these things happen in the catering industry. You know that."

"Thanks mom, I know," she muttered under her breath as she placed the glass in the sink. Then she ducked down under the counter for a towel on one of the shelves. Her hand traced the wooden construct until she felt something soft against her fingertips. Her mother, Mizawa, prepared another beer in the meantime.

"Watch your step."

Ayumi nodded signalling she heard her mother's warning and hurried back to table two. She crouched down and the man slid his wet shoe towards her. She rubbed the towel over the leather feeling a knot of embarrassment in her stomach as they looked down on her.

'Why did this have to happen? Why did he push the glass?'

"Ayumi!" her mother called.

'Aww shit! I forgot the beer!' She got back up and rushed to the bar where she got a worried glance from Mizawa as she threw the towel in a corner under the counter.

"Where's that beer?" Ayumi whispered breathless and Mizawa handed it to her.

"I guess we won't get a tip from them now," she commented and sighed.

"Who cares about a tip? I'm worried I'll get my head chopped off by those ninja."

"Ninja?" Mizawa mumbled surprised. She leaned over the counter to get a better look on her guests.

"They don't look much like ninja. At least they don't wear forehead protectors or have flashy weapons with them."

Ayumi didn't answer and bit her lip. Mizawa watched her daughter's face and smiled softly. Always worrying over her conduct, trying to satisfy everyone around her.

"Just relax, okay? Maybe they'll think you're cute and tip you after all."

"Mom!" Ayumi hissed with her voice lowered. She straightened her back and walked over to the two men.

"Excuse me for having to wait, sir. Here is your beer, on the house, as promised." She placed the glass on the table with a thud. Suddenly a strong hand grabbed her wrist.

Ayumi gasped and snapped her head towards the man. He looked at her perplexed face and watched her eyes closely. The irises were a milky blue and she stared straight through him.

"You're blind, girl," he stated flatly, sounding raw.

"Y-yes," Ayumi whispered and tried to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"Quite skilful how you rescued that glass from falling earlier. How did you do it?" That seemed threatening.

"It's nothing special. I'm accustomed listening to my senses and this is my home," she squeaked. She started to get afraid. Her eyebrows curled into a frown and her under lip trembled. She gave her arm another jerk to release his grip but he just tightened his hold.

"That _is _special."

The coldness of his voice made a shiver run down her spine.

"Hey!" Mizawa called out from behind the counter shooting an angry look at the men. He finally released her wrist and Ayumi stumbled back into the tables behind her. The Leaf ninja in the corner took notice of the sudden change in atmosphere.

"Are those jerks picking on her?" Naruto growled ready to jump up from his seat.

"Calm down," Kakashi ushered, "those men aren't shinobi and there's no real trouble yet. Remember we are still on a mission."

"Right," Naruto replied reluctantly. He stared a few seconds longer before turning back. Something was different.

"Hey! You ate two skewers of dango at once!" Naruto called out surprised.

"So much for not rushing, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura added. Kakashi just laughed it off.

Ayumi held onto the table behind her in shock until she felt anger bubbling up from within her.

"Assholes," she hissed under her breath and walked away briskly, instantly regretting it, afraid she had started trouble.

To her relief the men ordered nothing more and left quickly after finishing their beers. When she walked to their empty table to clean the surface she noticed they had left a tip. She counted the papers. Quite a hefty tip too! Perhaps they felt sorry for scaring her?

"I guess they did fancy you. At least they had the decency to pay up after causing us trouble," Mizawa complained. Ayumi was already happy they were gone.

The days were long around midsummer. At sundown she went up the stairs to the second floor where the family lived. The first floor was reserved for guests staying overnight and they had five rooms for rent. Only one was occupied by a single old man who had only shown himself for diner.

"Ah, Ayumi, have you finished your chores?"

"Yes mom," she replied entering her room.

"It's been a long day. Why don't you take Aki to the bathhouse?"

Her eyes widened at the mention. She loved going to Tanigakure's hot springs! They had a tub in the backyard, but they always took turns in it and thus there was no time to lay back and relax. At the hot springs no one had to fan the fire under the tub to keep the water warm or wait until their turn. She could soak in the hot water until her skin looked like a raisin.

"Hear that, Aki?" she called out down the hall.

"Hot springs! Hot springs! Hot springs!" her eight-year old brother cheered as he came running out of his room, spreading his arms like wings. He jumped up to his eleven years older sister and they gave each other a high-five. They both grinned stupidly.

"Hush you two, you'll disturb the guest," Mizawa scolded them hardly sounding angry. "Take some clean undergarments with you and don't stay in the water too long, or you'll get a fever."

"Yes mom," Ayumi droned rolling her eyes with a smirk. Mizawa repeated the same warning every time they went to the hot springs. She could hear her brother dancing in the darkness of her bedroom while he quickly gathered their stuff.

"Good kiddo," she praised, ruffling his hair with her hand as she passed. He quickly flattened his messed up hair and continued putting their stuff in a bag without losing concentration. She had more siblings: an older brother of twenty-one and a younger sister of fourteen. But there had always been a special relationship between her and Aki, the youngest. Soon they were out in the open air, the last rays of the sinking sun warming their faces. Ayumi tried to imagine what the path running down towards the city centre looked like, but it had been a long time ago since she was last able to see. When she was four-years she had become infected with an eye disease. The local doctor did not know what to do and advised her parents to go to an internist in Land of Fire or Wind, but there was no money, and thus they prayed the disease would not develop. Ayumi however had gotten scar tissue on her retina and damaged her optic nerves, causing the milky shine to her eyes and her permanent blindness. She had come accustomed to the darkness and her blindness did not hinder her anymore. Her sandaled feet memorized the road after having walked there so often, she didn't need an extra pair of eyes to lead her. She knew her house and the area's she frequented like the back of her hand. Even the forest up to the brook behind the inn was familiar terrain. Ayumi grabbed her brother's smaller hand as they went for the hot springs. He didn't mind it, he enjoyed these trips with his sister to the bathhouse. He looked up to his sister who had always taken care of him despite her condition. Because Ayumi's chores were lighter she had more time on her hands to play with him.

They lathered in soap and scrubbed their limbs until they were red and sore at the bathhouse. Then they lowered themselves in the hot water that left their skin glowing. All the grub and grime was removed leaving them thoroughly refreshed. Not many people were in the hot springs to their merry, giving them plenty of room to play games. They pretended Aki was a fish trying to swim for his life from Ayumi, the bad shark. When she finally got him she attacked him with tickles, making Aki kick and smash the water around him in wild laughter. After that they lay back and rested for a few minutes before they went out to dry themselves. They left the hot springs feeling content. All the thoughts about her work day were pushed out of Ayumi's mind.

"Let's count the steps it takes to get home!" Aki suggested.

"There might be over a thousand," Ayumi responded.

"A gazillion trillion thousand!" Aki exclaimed grinning. Ayumi giggled.

"Think you can keep up to count that far?"

"Hmm, I'll try," the boy said earnestly and started counting. Somewhere along four-hundred-fifty Aki fell silent.  
"Huh? That's strange… There are people coming out of the bushes beside the road…"

Ayumi cocked up an eyebrow thinking it odd indeed. She heard no sound but felt her brother's hand squeezing hers.

"What's wrong? Aki…" she asked a little worried. She wished she could see through his eyes.

"They are weird, Ayumi. They keep watching us," he said with a small voice as he slowed his pace. Now she could hear the soft footsteps nearing.

"Who are you?" she called out to the unknown people in front of her. Ayumi tried to sound unafraid, but she knew it was dark by now and that besides them and these strangers the road was abandoned. She turned her ear in their direction and stopped walking, pushing Aki behind her.

"Girlyy…" a rough voice teased, startling her. It was quite close, she guessed five yards.

"What do you want? We have no money."

"Ohh, but it isn't money we want," the man responded.

"Ayumi…" her brother mumbled while tugging her clothes.

"Let us pass. It's just me with my brother. We have nothing to offer you."

"But you do, you do."

Her heart was banging in her chest, the loud thud-thud-thud resonating in her head. She had to swallow before she could speak.

"…W-what?" her voice cracked.

"Or perhaps, it's your lack off, you might say, which has caught our interest in you."

She remained silent for a moment until his answer sunk in.

"My l-lack of sight?"

"Smart girly," a different man said. So there were at least two of them. She took a step back, pushing Aki along with her, away from these people. Shuffling noises from the right and the left in front of them.

"Aki, run back to town," she said softly. Ayumi felt her brother shake his head nay. She understood the child was so terrified that he didn't want to part with her, but her instincts told her it was not him these men wanted. She prodded at him with her elbows and pushed him with her hands, but he would not budge.

"Okay Aki, let's run together," Ayumi said with more determination.

"Now!" she screamed, and kept screaming as she clutched Aki's hand and ran back to town, hoping someone would recognize their peril from the horror in her voice. The shocks from running coursed through her body with each step. The loud thumping of their footsteps almost in sync with her beating heart. But their pursuers were hot on their tracks and the chase didn't last long. Hands yanked her arms and pulled her hair. She almost fell backwards. Ayumi screeched and was pulled into someone's embrace. A hand was placed over her mouth which effectively kept her from making any other noise. Ayumi heard Aki had a similar fate from the loud yell followed by muffled sobbing.

'Aki.'

Her heart ached at the idea they might harm her young brother. She wrestled with her captor.

"If you won't scream, I'll let you speak," the man said close to her ear. She felt his hot breath on her cheek. That voice was familiar. It was the same bastard from earlier in the restaurant she realized furiously. She slowly nod her head.

"Promise?"

She nodded her head vigorously. He kept true to his word and released his hand from her mouth. She gasped for air.

"Leave my brother out of this, it's me you want right? He's got nothing to do with this."

"Well, you're partly correct. If you would've left your house alone this evening he would have nothing to do with this. But now… he's an eye-witness."

Fear engulfed her at the hearing of these words. She could imagine Aki's fear was even greater. Would they hurt him? She and Aki were only two or three yards separated but it felt like an incredible distance. She wanted nothing more than to hold him. To shield him with her own body from these dangers.

"Please let him out of this," she pleaded teary-eyed.

The man nodded to his companion and Ayumi heard someone else move forward from the left. The hand was removed from Aki's mouth and he was pushed forward towards this third person.

"Yumi!" he exclaimed distressed, calling her by her nickname. Then she heard the loud sickening smack of someone's fist against the side of her eight year old brother's face and another blow was quickly dealt to his stomach. He wheezed and gurgled. She heard the thump of his body falling to the ground and Aki didn't say anything anymore. She flinched at the sounds and squeezed her eyes tight. Even though she was unable to see what happened, Ayumi could feel it in the air, imagine it.

"Aki… Aki…" she wept, tears now freely running down her face.  
"Why did you do it. Why'd you- he's just a child, you damn bastard!"

Ayumi gritted her teeth and tried to wrestle herself out of the man's iron grip with new-found strength, fuelled by a hatred that welled up fiercely. A hard blow almost dislocated her jaw. The metallic taste of blood entered her mouth rapidly. She spat to the ground.

"What you going to do now, you cowards? Rape me? Kill me?" Ayumi hissed trembling. But at the thought of her young brother, who had no care in the world, who hadn't experienced anything of its cruelty, she lowered her voice.

"Just… leave Aki… alone…" she managed, struggling to keep control over her voice.

"We will, the boy has lost consciousness anyway. He'll be fine. It's you, you should be worried about," the man chuckled into her ear.

"What will you do?"

Ayumi dreaded the answer.

"Nothing you are imagining. You're coming with us. You'll see, soon enough…"

And they all laughed viciously at her.

A piece of tape was roughly placed across her mouth and hands and feet were tied together. She was passed on to her next kidnapper, a tall man with a broad muscular chest who swung her over his shoulder. They jumped into the bush swiftly and she wondered if they were shinobi despite her mother's observation. Ayumi was carried into the trees, where they leaped from branch to branch. Further and further away from Aki, who was laying with an open wound to his head on the road. Ayumi couldn't help but cry and didn't care for the mucus running down her nose as she did so. She felt she could choke while she was unable to breathe normally through her mouth. Where were they heading for? Why did it happen? Why her? When will she be home again? She wanted the answers. But when the answers would be given, she would wish the agonizing trip through the thicket of the Land of Rivers would never have ended.

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**~ Oh hello there, reader! **

**It seems you've read more than 4.400 words. It's only a beginning but...How was it?  
****As many of us on FFN are authors you probably know the curiosity over knowing your readers' opinions! Reviews are really appreciated ^.^ **

**P.S. I'm not a native English-speaker! Sorry if there were a few mistakes. Feel free to PM me about anything that bothered :) **


	2. Chapter 2: An Attack on Sunagakure

_"Anybody can become angry - that is easy. But to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy" - Aristotle _

Chapter Two: An Attack on Sunakagure

Two-years have come to pass after the event in the inn.

"Kazekage-sama!" it was Baki bursting into his office. A loud thundering crash sounded from outside of the village's perimeters shaking the buildings on their foundation. A cloud of smoke rose up from behind the high cliffs surrounding Sunagakure. Gaara's green eyes peered out of the window, his hands folded behind his back.

"They're putting up more of a fight than we imagined. Shinatsu and Han have fallen."

"Gaara..." Temari muttered in shock. She was standing on the right side of his desk. The ninja were watching the Kazekage's back intently, waiting for his orders.

"I'm going," Gaara said. He turned around to face them. His eyes were cold and determined to deal with the intruder that was threatening their village. His sandgourd was sitting in the corner of his office, but he wouldn't need it here. All the sand in Sunagakure and its surrounding was infused with his chakra, turning every grain into a potential weapon for him. They rushed to the top balcony and jumped down the sand colored buildings. Kankuro soon joined them.

"Co-ordinate the citizens' shelter from here on, Baki-sensei," Gaara told his former teacher without looking over his shoulder. His coat fluttered in the wind as they proceeded to the ravine that formed the entrance to the village. Something was shooting up in the sky, burning like a falling star. A missile. It crashed into the rock wall near the passage. The rocks groaned and shifted, boulders setting loose. There were shinobi in the passage, frozen in their tracks momentarily as they anticipated the rock to fall. When they realised the danger they were in they had little time to make for cover. The small platoon that consisted of Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and two of the Kazekage's guards heard their shouting. Gaara lifted his hand and sand rose up from the ground in the passage. Whizzing up in small streams around the surprised shinobi. The sand formed a shield above them and caught the blow of the falling rocks with a muffled thunder. Gaara moved his hand up and to the left, willing the sand to come in motion, throwing the rocks out of the ravine and into the desert.

"The Kazekage is coming!" someone called out. The shinobi's hearts lifted and courage returned to their faces. This battle would soon be over.

Their fast footsteps echoed through the halls of the passage. The ninja they passed lowered their heads in respect for the revered Sand Siblings and their young Kage. Gaara had plenty of experience as shinobi leader of Suna. Five years had passed since he led the Shinobi Alliance as their General, making him twenty-one of age. They were victorious in their battle against Madara, Obito and the revived Yuubi, though he reckoned a large part of the credit should go to his good friend Naruto. Naruto, who had been granted the title of Hokage two years ago, fulfilling his life-long dream. Peace had returned to the shinobi world. A peace truer than they had known in their history, because the Great Nations had learnt to set aside their quarrels and befriend each other. Surely threats remained, but the battles fought seemed uncoördinated and petty compared to the dangers of Akatsuki and Madara's _Tsuki no Me Keikaku_ plan. The smaller nations however seemed target of assaults. Since three years back more and more people were reported missing. Normal people, average people, not shinobi. And although he and Naruto had tried to convince the others at the Five Kage Council, the other Kage had been lulled by the peace between them and made no priority of investigating the source of terror in the smaller countries. Not until they became victims themselves of mysterious kidnapping and the seemingly pointless killing of ninja. Who were threatening them in this moment? Gaara's complexion showed no obvious emotion, but inside he hoped that capturing the enemy outside of this ravine would cast some light upon the source of this matter. The end of the passage was nearing. Suddenly they ran into the open of the desert. A few shinobi cells were scattered on the plateau's of the high cliff wall. The sealing team was standing ready for their chance to stop the enemy. His eyes first landed on the two figures up ahead, shrouded in a cloud of falling dust. He scanned the area around him and counted five injured ninja. The bodies of Han and Shinatsu had been dragged to the safety of the wall. A pang of sadness hit his heart. Yet he didn't feel the cold thirst for revenge that had been so familiar to him in his life before he met Naruto. He had grown solid and stable by faith in himself and the love he received from those around him. He stood 5'11" tall, almost as tall as his brother Kankuro, and folded his arms in front of his chest. This seemingly aloof or defensive position was actually the fighting pose he preferred in the early stages of battle. Kankuro and Temari took notice of it, readying their weapons. A large fan and the former puppet Sasori, renamed Scorpion. By Gaara's doing the sand cloud lay down and revealed his opponents.

One was a man, a twisted half cyborg with canonry attached to his hips. The metal glimmered in the sun. He would've looked him in the eyes if they were not made of strange goggle-like machinery. The other was a woman. Her skin was a greyish green, scaly like that of a lizard. Her mouth was wide and a mad smile showed rows of glistening teeth. Her nose was but two slits and her eye-white yellow. Gaara noticed the long tail swooping behind her a fraction later.

"Who are these freaks?" Kankuro said.

"Would they be responsible for the disappearance of Miyuga?" Temari wondered out loud.

"They've killed Han and Shinatsu. We'll wring it out of them," Kankuro bitterly spat. Gaara remained silent until he finally asked the question.

"_Who _are you and _what _do you want?"

A long stretched hiss escaped from the woman's lips and the cyborg chuckled.

"How impolite of us," he sneered, "we haven't introduced ourselves. Pardon our lack of manners."

"I'm Veeran," the woman said and bowed theatrically. A pink thin tongue danced out of her mouth.

"And my name is Gunzen," the cyborg added.

"You asked what we want?" Veeran continued, "it's quite simple, though I'll admit it's not a modest goal." She paused a moment and everything was still in the desert. The shinobi waited for their answer.

"The eradication of shinobi-kind." Her eyes widened with excitement as she let the words roll from her lips. Temari huffed and Kankuro's face showed he questioned his opponent's sanity.

"Aren't you shinobi yourselves?" Gaara asked unfazed.

"We certainly are not!" Veeran snapped insulted, "we've come to bring you judgement. You have all sinned. And the wretches who give birth to your kind have sinned in the simple act of spitting you on the face of this earth. We demand justice!"

This sounded like a familiar argument. It had not happened just once that ninja sought the destruction of others to teach them a lesson. But, imperfect though it was, there had not been known a greater peace in their era than the peace of the past five years. The Great Nations had shared in their wealth rebuilding countries that suffered damage during the war. They had sent platoons of medical-nin, tending to their wounded, and the lords of the different countries understood that the evil and misguided wishes of a handful shinobi did not reflect the shinobi world as a whole. Why break the peace now?

"Are there more of you?"

"Perhaps there are, perhaps there aren't," the cyborg replied.

"Enough talking. Die!" Veeran screeched. The cyborg released gas from outlets on his shoulder blades and they were soon concealed from Gaara's sight. The cloud of smoke rolled out towards them. Kankuro lifted Scorpion and Temari held her fan in position. A bang indicated the launch of another missile from their left. Veeran emerged from the cloud on their right, crawling high-speed on all fours like she was indeed a lizard. She jumped out towards Gaara, her tongue shooting out of her widened mouth fast as a bullet. Scorpion's coil in its stomach cavity raced out and wrapped around the tongue. He jerked Veeran into the air and proceeded to slam her down to the ground. She spluttered and groaned. Meanwhile Gaara's sand made impact with the missile that was nearing them, causing it to explode in mid-air and spray the gathered ninja with sand. With a flick of her fan Temari cut through the air and the smokescreen dissipated.

"Heh," Kankuro smirked. These two were nothing they couldn't handle. He unfolded the scroll on his back to call out Black Ant to seal Veeran in its belly.

Gaara's sand raced after Gunzen who moved surprisingly quick. He deflected the attacks by launching bombs and used the beams of sand as leverage to jump away. He propelled in the sky and opened a secret vent. As he spun he released a fluid aimed at hitting as many shinobi as possible.

"Poison acid!" Gaara's guard Rin, a medic and poison specialist, exclaimed. They watched the glistening beads of green liquid flying in their direction. They were too small and too many to evade! Temari took this as her cue to launch another wind attack. The drops of acid halted by the sheer force of wind and dropped down. The sand sizzled and blackened.

Veeran used the momentary distraction to lash out at Kankuro. She enlarged her claws until they were a yard long. They cut the rope that held a painful grip of her tongue. She proceeded to claw at Scorpion and managed to injure the puppet's left arm. Quickly Kankuro regained himself and used the flamethrowers he had installed. Veeran screeched and jumped backwards. Gaara watched from the corner of his eye and noticed something strange. Interesting... There was something attached to Veeran's neck, round and metallic, with a small hole in the centre. As though it was a plug to her body. She slithered back to her partner and hissed angrily.

"Fuck these ninja's, they've brought their élite out."

"Heh! They simply spare us the trouble of having to deal with them later!" Gunzen spat cocky. He lift his clenched fist up at them, challenging the Sand Siblings to make a move. Unaware to them Gaara was emptying the ground under their feet, preparing a grave for them to fall into. Temari and Kankuro, familiar with Gaara's fighting style, eased their positions and waited for what happened next. He removed the sand from under their feet and lay bare the gaping hole. Veeran managed to jump up but the Scorpion puppet used its flamethrower above her, forcing her to retreat into the hole. As they entered the gap the sand closed around them, holding them in a death lock. Gaara, unfolding his arms, lifted his hand in front of him and turned it a quarter. The imprisoned intruders rose up from the cascade of sand.

"Sealing team," Gaara said.

"_Hai!" _Maki called in response. The three sealers ran forward, herself clutching her roll of sealing cloth under her arm.

Inside the sand prison it was dark.

"They got us," Veeran mumbled defeated.

"If the sand opens, try to make a run for it. I'll self-detonate."

"Gunzen!" Veeran said surprised.

"It would be better if at least one of us survived."

She remained silent. They had only been a team for three months and this act of kindness was unexpected.

"For the cause…" Gunzen continued.

The sand shifted and in its place a band of cloth wrapped around them, tightening.

"There's no time to run," Veeran commented. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain from her neck. Judging from Gunzen's grunt he felt it too. They clenched their teeth and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Y-yes master," she muttered laboriously. The sand passed from before her eyes. She could see the Suna ninja. There was their leader, standing with arms crossed, his maroon ankle long coat swaying softly. Her eyes crossed his. Then the darkness returned by the cloth wrapped around them. She closed her eyes waiting for what was next to come. The throbbing in her neck worsened. She felt her skin burst and only seconds later...

Gaara's mouth dropped a little when they heard the loud explosion. A deep crimson spread out through Maki's white cloth. The enemy had self-destructed. Some of the shinobi around him cheered, thankful the fight was over. Gaara was just left with more questions than he had gotten answers to.

* * *

Three days passed. The blood soaked cloth was sent to a laboratory. The dead had been given a proper burial ceremony. A long day of ploughing through paper-work was behind him. Gaara got up from his office chair and looked at the mess of files on his desk. Although his demeanour might insinuate an orderly character, he was not so with his work. He would leave it to Temari to sort the mess for him in the morning. He stared out of the window over the star-lit town. The welcoming lights behind the windows remembering him Temari and Kankuro were probably waiting to have dinner together. Temari said she would cook tonight. Although he wished he could say otherwise she wasn't that good at housework. None of the Sand Siblings were.

'I really should hire a housekeeper,' he sighed in thought, remembering Kankuro's suggestion.

Gaara walked out of his office and locked the door. Save for the guards that defended the intelligence department and the exits to the building he was alone. The Suna nights were cold as the days were warm, but Gaara was used to the big temperature differences. The walk to the house they had inherited from their parents was not long. His feet led him through the market street. All the stalls were brought indoors with the shutters closed, but at day this would be the buzzing heart of Sunagakure. Gaara enjoyed the strolls after work back home when everything was calm and the moon was out. He would sink in thought, processing the events of the day that lingered on his mind. Soon enough he was home. He walked up the short stairs that led to the front door, through the hallway and into the living room. Wafts of burned liver and vegetables greeted him.

Kankuro was slouched on the couch watching tv, the remote loosely in his hand, changing the channel every five seconds looking for a good program to watch.

"What smells so good?" Gaara joked, Kankuro starting snickering.

"Ha ha, I heard you!" Temari called out not amused from the kitchen. Gaara smiled lightly.

"I've just ordered take-away," Kankuro informed him. Gaara nodded expecting as much.

"What did you order?"

"Same as always. The special and number seven with extra chilli." He readjusted himself on the couch since he finally found something worthwhile to watch. Gaara walked passed him to their large kitchen. He heard Temari opening the water, probably to erase her failed attempt at cooking. The kitchen was large and full-equipped. It contained a kitchen island with bar stools, two in-build ovens, an in-build dishwasher, 6-pit cooking plates and a two-door refrigerator with an ice-machine. Sky-blue walls, the cupboards cream-white with a walnut worktop and walnut cabins hanging from the wall. It could have been straight from a catalogue. Gaara figured his mother picked it out and had loved cooking. Although Temari easily neglected the rest of the house, he had to admit, the kitchen was always spic and span. Even if they would eat take-away Temari insisted they'd have dinner in the kitchen to have at least one moment a day together as a family. Gaara fetched himself a drink, cactus and lemon juice with crushed ice, and sat on a stool talking to Temari.

A good ten minutes passed before the bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Kankuro hollered and picked himself up from the couch. He scratched his chest and walked to the front door barefoot.

"Gaara, it's for you!" Both Temari and Gaara turned their heads.

"I bet it's Matsuri," Temari jested.

Gaara's face revealed his anxiety over that possibility and Temari started laughing. He liked Matsuri as a kunoichi and didn't want to step on her feelings, but lately it had gotten hard to ignore her obvious attempts to get close to him. She, thinking he had failed to perceive her message, resorted to more desperate acts every time to draw his attention. But the situation was more like she failed to understand his rejections. He got off the stool and walked towards the door averting his eyes to Kankuro as they passed each other.

"No, it's not her," Kankuro told him and Gaara's inner-self sighed with relief. It was Ryuu standing in their hallway with a falcon on his shoulder.

"Pardon me for entering your residence and disturbing you at night, Kazekage-sama," he said apologetically, "but the intelligence department received a special message I was sure you'd be interested in."

Gaara said nothing and waited for the man to go on.

"Here," he said, handing Gaara a well-folded note.

"It's from the Land of Rivers. I've decoded it."

Curiously Gaara folded the paper open. His eyes scanned the document, quickly absorbing the message. He slightly frowned.

"You did good coming to me," he spoke finally. Ryuu relaxed and smiled since he had received a compliment from his Kage.

"Please notify the following shinobi to report at eight in the morning in my office: Reki and Matsuri. Prepare provisions for a four man cell to travel to Tanikagure."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" the ninja said bowing. He opened the door and disappeared into the night. Gaara returned to the living room to see Kankuro at the tip of his favourite spot on the couch and Temari sitting on the armrest next to him. Both were looking at him expectantly.

"There's been a discovery in the Land of Rivers. Three scouts reported seeing people emerging from the sea in a rural area south from Tanigakure. Reported features were consistent with our profile of the enemy."

"We might find Miyuga!" Temari exclaimed. Miyuga was a shinobi who had last been seen near the borders of the Land of Rivers. After search parties with sensory-type ninja could not trace anything leading to him within Suna's own borders, they figured their next best place to look would be in Tani. Gaara had sent a request for permission to enter a week ago.

"Then we must go!" Kankuro said. Gaara nodded.

"The Lord has also invited a cell from the Leaf to take part in the mission, as they have reported missing people suspected to be in the Land of Rivers as well. We are to meet at a location on the outskirts of Tanigakure."

Temari and Kankuro nodded in understanding.

"I'll be putting together a team early this morning. I expect you both in my office at eight."

"Of course, Gaara," Temari responded with a soft smile. With her keen eye she could see the tension in his shoulders. Caring as she knew Gaara had become, it made sense that the missing Miyuga and the deceased Han and Shinatsu didn't leave his mind. He was concerned to find the culprits who threatened the safety of the Sand.

* * *

In the morning Gaara got up at 06.00 and took a hot shower. While the water was falling on him, trickling down his toned chest, he was spacing off in thought. His mind was torn between the various aspects of his duties as Kazekage. Bound to his office, bound to the council, he had woken up this morning with only a single thought on his mind. He quickly dried himself and dressed in dark pants, a mesh shirt and his favourite long-sleeved crimson coat with a grey holster vest on top. He looked in the mirror at his reflection as he buckled the belts around his waist and smirked lightly. Hardly an outfit for a regular paper-work day. He knew he was going to have to face resistance over his decision, but he found comfort knowing that his friend Uzumaki Naruto would've probably made the same choice in his place.


	3. Chapter 3: The Scientist

_"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world" - Archimedes._

Chapter 3: The Scientist and The Council Member

The elderly man woke up that morning after having the same dream that kept returning since he was just a boy of twelve years old. It didn't inspire the tears to run freely from his eyes like it had done in the past, but the vision still held a portion of its magic. It was a constant reminder why he worked so hard to fulfil his goals. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and dressed in silence.

A digital voice spoke through the intercom.

"Doctor Heero, your presence is required in lab B."

"Tsk. Outside of scheduled maintenance? This could only mean trouble."

He promptly grabbed an oatmeal bar from the kitchen cabinet for breakfast. He exited his private apartment into the arched glass corridor, chemically strengthened with compressed ions, that connected the different areas of the stronghold. Outside of the glass was a world of darkness, enveloping them, keeping them safe from unwelcome eyes. As he walked towards lab B people paused to bow when they took notice of him. He nodded in acknowledgement and said a few good mornings. Everyone he encountered wore long white jackets and most of them walked on rubber sandals as though each were a doctor of some sort. Remarkably they all shared the same features. Each person had some shade of olive skin color and hair varying from deep brown to amaretto red. Heero was surrounded by people of his nation. They lived together and endured the hardships of the world in unison, as has been a tradition of old. He had reached a large mechanic doorway and pressed the right code on the panel on its left.

"Finger print required," the robotic female voice spoke.

He pressed his index finger on the cold glass plate and a beam of light moved up and down.

"Access granted. Welcome doctor Heero, class 1."

The mechanic lock turned left, a plate swirled around behind it until it clicked in place and finally the doors opened before him. Agitated voices drifted out to meet him. He frowned his grey brow, curled at the tip of the arches, and proceeded forward. He held his gloved hands on the balustrade and looked down from the deck to the working floor and the water tanks below him.

"Ah, doctor Heero!" a young female voice greeted him.

"A1," he said with a nod, hardly giving her so much as a glance. The girl went to stand beside him. She was small and frail, perhaps no older than seventeen, and her dark brown hair was short and cropped. She had brown doe-eyes, perfectly almond-shaped, that failed to conceal a smug personality shining through them. She wore a skin-tight and long-sleeved suit of thick fabric. It was white with blue lanes that followed the natural curve of the body and had a long yellow zipper on her back. On the base of her neck she had a tattoo. It said "A1" in a basic font with a barcode.

"Three of your experiments failed overnight I'm afraid," she said quite content, teetering back and forth on her toes. Heero glared at her for a short moment and brushed past her, descending the stairs. The girl followed him with her eyes. The assistant-head of staff quickly spotted him.

"Heero-sama, the cell structure started to break down of subjects B18, B22 and B29."

"Leaving us only with B26…"

"That's unfortunately correct, Heero-sama," the man gulped and handed Heero a file. "This is the latest computer report, sir. It shows sudden spikes in mitochondrion activity, overheating the cell and disturbing the functioning of the nucleolus. The body's defensive agents recognized these cells as malignant and started attacking from within. The amount of healthy cells quickly diminished and thus the body was liquidated, leaving us with… well, this." He gestured to the tank that displayed the gruesomely disintegradted body of a male. Heero sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Years of labour on these people vanished overnight. But he was prepared to have some losses, experimenting was all about trial and error after all.

"How is B26?"

"The computer feed shows no anomalies, sir."

"Get her out of deep coma to stage two, we'll run tests on her nerve and brain functioning."

He turned around to look at the round tank. A girl floated in fetal position, illuminated by an eerie green light under her. Bubbles rose up consistently through the inhalation mask that hid most of her facial features.

"We shall not lose B26," he spoke determinant. His assistant nodded and saluted him.

'I have to take my leave tonight. Perhaps it will be necessary to transport her to the city, there I can keep a close eye on her progress.' Heero walked over to one of the large bleeping panels, full of buttons in different colors and meters keeping track of various life signals. He scanned the room and crossed eyes with A1. He watched her sternly from under his thick brow and she tilted her chin up in response. He frowned, not blinking or looking away until she did so.

'And _she_ needs a leash,' he grumbled to himself. A1 was his first successful mutation. She held a special rank and made use of it, much to his annoyance.

* * *

"Kazekage-sama!" Rin gasped.

"Gaara, are you sure?" Temari asked.

According to the clock it was 8:10 in the morning, the sun was creeping over the cliff wall that surrounded Sunakagure and peeked through the windows. The summoned ninja were all gathered inside his office. Gaara was sitting behind his desk, his head resting on his folded hands while his pale green eyes observed them. He had just debriefed them on his decision and had anticipated this reaction. Although outwardly he didn't show, it quite amused him to watch their individual responses. His guards Rin and Tomatsu worried and appalled, while Matsuri's eyes shone like stars at the thought she was going on a mission with him. She was bound to be disappointed. Although he found this particular moment quite entertaining, the matter was serious and no thing for laughing. There was an urgent mission.

"Yes, Temari, I will go myself along with Kankuro, Matsuri and Rin."

"Gaara, what will you do with the council?" Kankuro asked.

"Even though war has not openly been declared from the enemy's side, we live once again in times of constant attack by an alien force. As Kage I am the military leader of this country. This cell needs to leave this morning and there was no time to consult the council. They will have to bear my decision, " he shrugged.

"But, who will be in charge of your office if it isn't you?" Temari asked the obvious question.

"I appoint you, of course," Gaara replied. Temari was certainly fit to fulfil the duties of Kage in his absence. Since long she had the trust and loyalty of the Suna shinobi which had definitely worked in his favour during the time before he became Kage. She could keep her head cool when needed, was steadfast, diligent and a compassionate human being with a love for her country.

"Alright Gaara, I won't disappoint you," Temari said accepting his decision.

"What will we do when something happens to you, Kazekage-sama," Matsuri asked worry-eyed.

"This is a covert mission, it would not be wise to advance in combat with the enemy before we have examined the situation," he replied her, "so the risk of injury is minimal."

"We should trust our Kazekage, this is Gaara we're talking about. Has he not proven his worth as leader of this village?" Kankuro called out. They all nodded and kept their mouth shut. They remembered the time he sacrificed himself against Deidara and Sasori for the village and his efforts during the last shinobi war. It was true Gaara had always devoted himself to his task as Kage and this was nothing more than another act out of care for Suna.

"Reki will guard the interim Kazekage in Rin's absence. We will sent a falcon once we've rendezvoused with the Leaf in Tanikagure."

"Where are we headed for?" Kankuro asked.

"Some inn on the road there," he replied and stood up from his chair. His sand gourd floated over to him and he strapped it on his back.

"Well then, provisions are prepared. We are ready to take our leave," he told them. Matsuri, Rin and Kankuro nodded.

'Quick now,' Gaara thought, 'or those geezers will catch wind of my leaving.'

He walked to the window and shoved it open, the others following him. And swiftly, too quick for an untrained eye, they jumped up and down the buildings to the passage out of Sunakagure. It would be a travel of approximately three days to reach the inn "River's Fortune".

Temari watched them disappear out of sight and turned to the mass of scattered files on Gaara's desk.

"My first task will be to sort this out I suppose," Temari mumbled. She sat down on the padded armchair.

"And these are the files that will need attending today, Temari-sama," Tomatsu said, rolling a two-story cart into sight with a stack of papers that made Temari tired just looking at. Although it was nothing new to her, she was once again surprised how systematically Gaara could work while still leaving a mess. The files were color labelled according to the rank of the missions, grey if their information was on internal affairs and brown if they were about external affairs. She started sorting them on date and checked if Gaara had properly stamped them, which he had done correctly for each. She noted he had a log book in which he wrote remarks about files that needed further checking or raised other questions. He marked them if they were followed up. Just 10 minutes passed and there was a knock on the door. Before she could even lift her head and say "come in" the door slammed open.

"Where is the Kazekage? Word has reached me he intends to leave this morning."

It was council member Yuudai. He supported himself with a smooth walking stick for support, a dark blue turban covered his balding head and he wore the long robes of his rank.

'That was quick,' Temari thought raising her eyebrows. Gaara had only informed he would be going twenty-five minutes ago. Who snitched them out? Yuudai's heavy lid eyes looked around the room.

"I was afraid I would be too late. What does the Kage think? He needs to consult us before leaving our borders! Such Impudence!"

Temari felt anger rising hearing him slander her brother.

"Bureaucracy can work in sluggish ways, council member Yuudai," she said slowly, glowering. "Gaara-sama knows this and made a judgement call, _as is his right_."

"Why you…" Yuudai spluttered.

"What will you have me do? Call them back and stall the mission? Think about what's best for Suna," she continued.

"Well, Temari-hime," he said leaning heavily on his staff, "the council will accept this situation. But the Kage cannot neglect the ancient institutions of our state."

He paused and squinted his eyes, then proceeded softly and slyly, "or what separates Kage's from _dictators_?"

"Enough!" Temari growled standing up-right and slamming her hands on the table. Yuudai looked momentarily shocked at her reaction.

"Most revered Yuudai of the Council, I will not have you make these insinuates."

"Very well," he said after regaining his composure and turned to exit the room with the rustling of his robes. Reki shot Tomatsu a worried glance.

"Does this happen more often?" he whispered behind the back of his hand. Tomatsu, having been on duty for four years in the Kage's office looked at him with a smirk.

"This is politics, they can't always agree."

"Riiight," Reki nodded slowly. The council members had always seemed distant figures in his perception, rarely making a public display. Although their prestige amongst shinobi in the field was little compared to the esteem Gaara held, their authority was great in the circles of the Suna nobles.

Temari let herself fall back into the armchair and sighed. Something told her this wasn't the last of the council members they would have to endure. The council member had shared a dangerous thought. She feared for the allegations Gaara would have to face from these stuck up geezers when he returned.

* * *

**A/N: Glad to see I've my first follower, thanks! :)  
At this point all the main characters have been introduced. Some special roles may yet be given to some Leaf ninja. **

**Feedback makes me happy :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Awoken

**A/N: wow o.o after uploading chapter 3 a while ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see I've been rewarded with reviews and followers/favorites. Thank you!~ Glad to notice you like the story so far! It's been busy during the holidays, this is the reason why I didn't update. Hope everyone had a good new year. I wanted to update earlier, but here it finally is. A new chapter!**

_"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power" - Lao Tzu._

Chapter Four: Awoken

'This mission is my chance to make Gaara-sama notice me!' Matsuri thought as she followed the others across the desert. The sun was sinking, casting long shadows.

"We'll make camp under those rocks," Gaara said. They headed for the lone rock formation that stood like a beacon in the emptiness of the desert.

"Should we cook a meal now we are still inside Suna territory?" Rin asked.

"Hell yeah, something warm will do," Kankuro responded.

"Alright," Gaara said.

Matsuri kept silent and watched Gaara's back.

"_You know Matsuri, you're a wonderful cook. A beautiful one too," Gaara mentioned with a husky voice after trying her soup. _

"_Owh Gaara, I__'m hardly," Matsuri squealed. She waved his compliments away with her hand. Suddenly he grabbed hold of her. His hand felt warm. He looked deep into her eyes, his jade greens shimmering, he moved forward slowly, a blush formed on her cheeks, their lips almost__ touching!_

"Hey, don't slack off Matsuri!" Kankuro called out watching her nearly drooling.

"Huh?" While she was spacing off in her private thoughts she had slowed her pace. Gaara looked over his shoulder questioningly.

'He's probably wondering why I'm so unfocused. Aghh! That was so uncool!' Matsuri scolded herself, fretting over her small mistake because of fear Gaara will like her less. 'Keep it together Matsuri.'

When they reached the rock formation Rin started a fire going with some dried wood and tinder she brought, using a simple fire _jutsu _to ignite the flame. Meanwhile Kankuro and Gaara set up two tents together. Matsuri used her tracking skills to see if there were any other people who had recently passed the rock formation. She looked over her shoulder at the two brothers who got along easily and wished she could be a part of it.

"I'll heat up soup," Gaara told them, "we can eat with bread and dried meat."

"Sounds fine," Rin smiled.

Kankuro grabbed a can from his backpack and tossed it to his brother. In the east the sky was deep blue with bright stars, from the west the last rays of the sun clung red on the dunes. The wind softly carried the sand across the desert. Gaara watched the landscape around him.

'Crimson like blood,' he thought. 'Too much blood of Suna's shinobi has been shed.'

Soon the stars and the dancing flames from their fire were the only source of light in the area. Now that the temperature dropped animals in the cracks of the rock started to show themselves: a snake slithering across the ground, the chirping of insects and the scurrying of desert mice. Gaara felt right at home. He especially enjoyed the times he and his siblings travelled out of Sunakagure and camped in the desert. He smirked remembering Temari's panic reaction when she find out one morning a lizard was inside her sleeping bag. He ate in silence while the others were conversing, reminiscing about drunk nights in the bar and the last Chuunin exams. Kankuro and Rin roared with laughter.

'I hope Kankuro won't bring up the story of my first drunk experience. I'll kill him.'

He thought back to his meeting with Veeran and Gunzen. The reptilian woman seemed unlike anything he had ever seen. It reminded him only of Kabuto's snake sage technique, but this woman did not use any seals signifying she used ninjutsu. It was as though her body was morphed that way, to hold exceptional flexibility and the ability to elongate certain parts of her body. It was strange to see the round metallic plug at the base of her neck. Now he thought about it, did he see something like that on the cyborg too? Somehow it must be a clue, it must mean _something_.

"Gaara, let's call it a night," Kankuro suggested. He looked at his brother and nodded in response. He got up, Kankuro following him inside the tent. He always had difficulty falling asleep, something that lasted from being _jinchuuriki_ of the One Tail who had tormented him in his dreams, but now he was kept awake by his worries as Kazekage. He poked Kankuro when he was snoring. The puppet-user mumbled something inaudible and turned around on his other shoulder. Gaara lay with his back towards Kankuro and closed his eyes. Time to get some sleep.

* * *

It was night-time. Heero had left that evening and was on his way to the city. B26 was to be prepared for a transfer in one week. The halls of the fortress were silent, all but one person lay asleep. A1 tip-toed through the glass corridor and headed for lab B. Outside of the glass a group of fish swam past her, their silver scales shimmering. At the base of the tunnel the seaweed danced with the current. It was impossible to see far into the murky water. Yes, this building was underwater. She arrived at lab B. A1 typed in the entrance code and cursed the digital voice for being so loud. After giving her fingerprint she entered the chamber. The main source of light were the several tanks in the middle of the room, casting a soft green light on the tiled walls, dancing as the water moved in the tank. All the tanks were empty apart from one. From her position near the rail of the deck she could see the body floating, knees pulled up close to the chest. A1 pulled a face like of tasting something sour. First things first, she had to erase her tracks. Stealthily she glided down the stairs to the main computer. Long wired tubes with a thick needle at the end hung beside it, ready to plug into the back of the neck through a mechanical entrance that served as a medium to translate the electric pulses of the brain back to the computer and vice versa. But A1's neck had not been spoiled by such a device. She would have to enter the computer manually. She opened the command screen and started typing in codes. The messages of her actions flooded the screen. She was deleting the data on her entrance to the lab. It was a night for mischief and she didn't want to leave any tracks. Indeed she was proficient with the computer, a characteristic skill of her people. _Tabigarasu_ they called themselves. Birds of passage, wanderers. Now their homeland was lost they rooted nowhere for too long. She turned her back to the bleeping computer with its flickering lights and walked to the glass prison of the girl. She huffed at the sight, floating in the water so helplessly, at the mercy of scientists.

'That was me until a year ago. I have experienced the same.'

She leaned against the metal encasing of the glass orb. Her eyes fell on the code engraved there.

"B26," she whispered.

A1 was curious about the girl. She stood on her toes and pressed her hands against the glass to get a good look of her face.

'They say you were blind. I wonder if they corrected that flaw.'

The girl had her eyes closed. Lavender hair floated around her head, carefully cut by the scientists at shoulder length, bangs coming to her eyebrows, equally lavender.

'It's so unnatural. Is it part of the mutation?' A1 thought crumpling her nose and snorting. 'Who you once were is stolen from you. Now you have no name. Lab B, guinea pig 26. Like me, I'm always called A1... But I'm Nana... and they'll remember!'

She felt contempt towards the girl for the simple fact she had claimed the undivided attention of everyone. Soon after going through the mutation she realized it meant her isolation, being disconnected from the others. A strange new being, created with a specific purpose. A machine of war... To that purpose Nana held like a lifeboat. It made her special, needed. And here this B26 _thing _was. Someone whom she could relate to were the circumstances different. Perhaps they would have been friends. Now Nana saw her as a rival. When this girl was reborn fully as B26 Nana would become less needed, while she wanted the acceptance of her people. She didn't want to belong to the same league as this girl. _  
_

'I'll shake you up a bit,' she thought with a cheeky smile.

She turned around towards a computer. Soon the robotic female voice announced the configurations she made.

"Life functions stable. Core monitor on. Barbiturate feed 100%, Coma stage 1. Recovery in process. Barbiturate 95%... 85%...75%...Coma stage 2…60%...50%...Coma stage 3. Command executed. Blood pressure rising. Life functions stable."

Nana couldn't help but snickering like a child pulling a prank. Soon B26 would be awake enough to hear her, to respond to stimuli. She'll tell her what's going on. She could see involuntary twitching of her limbs and fingers.

"Lung performance...40%...65%...100%"

Yes, she clearly saw the heaving of B26' chest. The girl shocked as though she choked on the large tube inserted into her throat 5 inches deep. It had pumped oxygen into her lungs for nearly 2 years, since during deep-coma the brain stem stops functioning and machinery needs to step in to keep the body alive. Now her lungs were working for the first time again on their own. Big bubbles rose up from the mask.

"You can hear me, can't you?" Nana said, pressing her hands against the glass. Fingers twitched.

"Soon they'll be putting lies into your head. Do you remember who you are? It's important!"  
She frowned. This was nuts! Why was she doing such a dangerous thing? Nana decided it was because of empathy for the girl.

Ayumi floated somewhere in the twilight of her consciousness. Her body felt strangely light and heavy at the same time. From a distance, as though underwater, she could hear a voice. Visions of a nightmare came to mind. She could sense herself being strapped onto a mechanic table, lowered into a tub of water, darkness around her. For the first time ripped away from everything that was familiar. Truly blind. The smell of medicine, of blood. The sharp pain of a syringe emptied into her arm. The liquid running cold through her veins. The feeling that menacing faces loomed over her limp body. _They were ninja_. A primal fear rose up from within her along with a headache. The brain sputtered after having been asleep for so long. 'Yumi!' she heard the calls of a boy and then the sound of bare fists against flesh. She wanted to reach for him. Who was this boy again? It felt important to remember. She needed to go to him! He needed help. But these memories were too cruel, entering her mind all at once. She wanted to forget. And there was this voice outside, but near. If she would focus on that voice, perhaps she could haul herself out of this nightmare.

"They've used you for an experiment. You've become a chimaera. That means your genetic code is altered, fused with an element. Can you imagine? To every strand of DNA a new chemical connection added. They've done all sorts of tricks on you. Oh, I can know. I watched some of it. They were twisting their machinery into your spine. I'm lucky not to have that."

What was she hearing? Her head hurt. Ayumi could recall cold steel pressed against her neck. She wanted to touch, see if it was still there, but her head was obstructed. She couldn't move! Nana saw the twitching hands.

"You're plugged into the computer and you're still in a medically induced coma… But I'm surprised, already being able to move around this much... It's futile though! Trust me. You're trapped until they've fully brainwashed you and can put you to use."

_A cage_! Bubbles rose up from the inhalation mask furiously. She couldn't move. She was in a cage! The cold metal table, the syringe. Hands jerking her around. She was taken away, held captive.

"Blood pressure rising. Heartbeat 132 per minute."

Nana took a step back, her eyes grew bigger. B26 had spunk!  
"Are you angry? I see..." she said steadily. Her heart stirred at the display of despair that drove this girl out of her coma.

"Do you know your name? Wait, I'll look it up for you. Maybe it's in the archive." She walked to a different panel and started opening files.  
"B26… B26…Where are you" Nana whispered while concentrated, "Ah! Here it is!"

She turned around towards the limp girl.  
"Ayumi. Your name is Ayumi," she said with a small smile rocking back and forth on her feet. Nana's smile faded. She started to feel stupid. Why was she helping her? She despised this girl, right? Then why did it feel like she was looking at a reflection of herself? They were nothing alike! The panel next to Ayumi's orb showed incredible rise in activity from within her. She was awakening fast!

'Shit, this is getting out of hand!' Nana suddenly realized and turned to the panel hastily.

"Barbiturate feed initiated, coma stage five," the robotic voice droned.

'Stage five! When did this happen? She's nearly recovered!'

Ayumi felt white-hot pain as the fought the sensation to fall back asleep. Slowly she lifted her hand. She wasn't sure if her eyes were open, but had a feeling she could _see_ the thin girl in front of her. Her head turned from the panel to her. She tasted the plastic of the tube in her raw throat. Something warm and wet against her skin, seeping through her lashes. Water.

Nana noticed how Ayumi lifted her hand, it crept up ever so slowly, but nearing its goal.

"Barbiturate feed 50%...60%..."

The drug ought to work quickly. Her fingers flew across the typing board. Inserting commands to inject the girl with sedative, to regain control over the brain stem.

Ayumi's hand was closing in on the wire plugged into the base of her neck. Her fingers missed their target, then she felt the back of her hand brushing against the steel. She clenched her fist around the wire, muscles aching from the sudden strain after months of rest. Her hand burned but the steel was cold. She shook from the pain and effort of pulling it out. Nana looked with horror at her spasms.  
"Fatal error. Command unable to execute," the robotic voice boomed through the room. The red swinging light of the alarm turned on.

"Emergency in lab B," loud through the intercom throughout the entire fortress. Ayumi's eyes fluttered open. Nana was trembling on her spot. Ayumi moved in her prison and noticed the glass that encased her. She frowned behind the oxygen mask. The palms of her hands against the walls of the glass orb. If before she seemed harmless like a puppet, Nana saw now how very alive she was. _And she was a chimaera_. An asterisk appeared on the surface, cracked loudly and branched out. The sound was ear-deafening in the silent room. Nana felt her heart banging against her chest and heaved hard. She spun her heel and made for the exit. After flying up the stairs she pressed the button to open the door furiously. If she was quick, perhaps she could make it out in time. She needed to avoid suspicion, or even her own life was likely spent. The armored glass corridor bathed in red light.

"Emergency in lab B," the alarm continued unforgiving.

Footsteps! Footsteps ahead!

"Guns at the ready!" a rough voice in the distance, "shoot any intruder!"

Shattering of glass from within the lab. She imagined the girl carried out with the water, like a new-born cast from a womb. B26, awoken and free! What fury would take hold of doctor Heero? Nana's doe-eyes filled with panic. Frantically she looked around her. She was in a tube deep under water, five miles off shore from the Land of River's. The guards were nearing... Carrying stunning rifles or worse. It was difficult to estimate how far ahead they still were. The emergency exit! It was the only way.

Ayumi was alone on the cold floor. Her trembling hands clasped the inhalation mask, undoing the clip that fastened it behind her head. Slowly she pulled it away from her, gagging as the long tube scraped against the walls of her throat. Bile quickly rose up from her stomach, the sour slime that entered her mouth a shocking experience for her papillae after two years of being fed through probes. Anguish. Resentment. Flashes of painful memories she tried to repel confusing her. Her head pounded. She didn't know where she was. Wicked shouts coming from the opened door above her. There were other people. _Ninja's_. _Those damned shinobi!_ She had been held captive. Every nerve of her body was screaming to stay out of their hands... They were coming.

* * *

"We're about to cross the border," Gaara said, "from here on be extra alert. Our enemy moves on this territory."

In front of them a terrain of rough grasses, thinly grown with trees, exchanged the high dunes of the desert. The birds chirped from the crowns of deciduous trees. The growth soon thickened into a lush forest. Gaara led his platoon forward. This green country also harbored the huge cave where Akatsuki extracted the One Tail from his body. Subconsciously his hand travelled to his stomach. _The One Tail_. It was the second day of their journey and the sun was almost at its highest. One more night camping out in the wilderness. Tomorrow they will reach the inn named "River's Fortune". He wondered which of the Leaf shinobi would be there to meet them. He was sure Konoha sent their finest, but hoped to see familiar faces.


	5. Chapter 5: The Shinobi Arrive

Chapter Five: The Shinobi Arrive

"Hey guys!" Sakura shouted, waving her hand in the air. She was sitting outside of the inn with Shino, Hinata and Kiba. She saw the Sand shinobi nearing from down the road.

"Oi!" Kankuro shouted in response and smiled. Gaara noted these were all Leaf ninja with excellent sensory skills, plus a medic kunoichi, while he and Kankuro excelled in capturing the opponent if needed.

"Good to see you again," Gaara said with a soft smile. Kiba and Sakura grinned at them, while Hinata smiled shyly and Shino's face was like always hidden behind his jacket and glasses.

"Let's go inside," Shino said, "Why? Because on the road we are easily spotted."

"Ehh Shino, we know," Kiba grunted in response and stood up from his squatted position next to his enormous dog.

"They haven't changed much," Kankuro mumbled with a smirk. It was good to see comrades from the Leaf again, though Gaara was slightly disappointed to see Naruto wasn't amongst them. But Naruto was also a Kage now and thus likely busy with something else. Surely they would meet soon enough again.

"Hey, I remember this place," Rin said, "they have great dango here!" The inn was the only building in the area. The road from there led down the hill towards the city. They saw it could be no more than a mile distance.

"Well, the lord of the Land of River's is waiting inside to debrief us," Sakura said. Gaara expected so, it was written in the message he received.

Kankuro pushed open the heavy wooden door to the establishment and they followed after him.

"Good afternoon," a man with an unshaved beard who smelled of alcohol said while polishing a glass listlessly. They nodded at him. Sakura looked around the room and slid her finger across one of the tables. It was dusty. She remembered they used to shine like they were recently waxed. The bamboo floor looked damaged and spoiled in some places.

"The inn's quality has somewhat lessened," she whispered.

"Err, yeah," Rin agreed.

They proceeded to the back of the inn's restaurant where the Lord was sitting between two of his bodyguards.

"Hey! No dogs allowed!" a woman shouted as she walked out of the kitchen door next to the bar.

"Ah? Shit…" Kiba said as he turned around back to the exit. When he was outside with Akamaru he made sure no one was watching them before he turned to the dog.  
"They think I'm gonna leave you behind? Think again, suckers. Transform into me Akamaru!" he said. Akamaru barked in response and with a poof of smoke there stood a perfect copy of himself, one hand on his hip and cocky smile included. Kiba chuckled and they re-entered the inn.

"This is my twin brother!" he said to the woman who now stood alongside of the man. Akamaru waved at the couple. They marched with hands in their pockets towards the end of the restaurant. Mizawa and her husband Daisuke threw them a suspicious look. The others had pulled two tables close to each other and were already seated. Apart from them the inn was empty.

"Honey, isn't that our lord Shaozai?" Mizawa hissed poking her husband.

"Hnn? Ah...," he squinted his eyes and peered at the little man in between his big guards. Was he seeing double? He rubbed his eyes. Must be the booze. "Yeah, I suppose so," he shrugged and took a chug out of a saké bottle. Mizawa snatched it out of his hands.

"Enough of that! If the Lord likes our inn, we might get more customers," she said while throwing him a glare. "Aki! Aki!" she called out. A young boy walked out of the kitchen door and looked at her questioningly. He wore a red baseball cap to hide the scar on his forehead and had an apron wrapped around his middle.

"Go clean that table, dear," Mizawa said and shoved a wet cloth into his hands.

Aki stared at the table with curiosity. He spotted the different forehead protectors and the lord of the Land of River's amongst them.  
'Those stupid shinobi, scheming plans I bet,' he thought angrily. He pulled his cap a little deeper over his eyes and walked off. Without warning he smashed the cloth on the table, water squirting out, and started rubbing as though he had a personal issue with it. He didn't care that he ran the wet cloth over Kankuro's hand which had rested on the table.

"Hey, watch it kid!" he blurted. Aki's mouth corners curled up into a smile. Served him right, that ninja. He turned around and walked away like nothing happened.

"Oi! The table! It needs to be dried!" Kankuro called after him, standing up from his seat. Aki threw a dishcloth at his face.

'This is why I hate kids,' Kankuro thought before sitting down.

"Give me that, I'll do it," Matsuri said and he gladly passed the dishcloth on to her.

"I-I'm sorry about my son, honored guests. He's just... Ever since... Our daughter..." Mizawa's voice quivered with emotion. She fell silent for a moment, emptied her throat and straightened her apron. "Well, that's that... Would you like something to eat or drink?" After she had scribbled their orders down she left.

"I could eat a horse!" Kiba growled.

"I would advice against that. Why? Your stomach doesn't have enough room," Shino replied matter-of-factly from behind his shades.

"Loosen up buddy, its matter of speech, 'aight?" Kiba retorted slightly annoyed.

"Comrades look out for each other," Shino told him earnestly. Hinata smiled at them as they seemed to stare each other down. Her eyes met those of the two sand siblings.

"They're friends but they've still not become accustomed to some of each other's habits," she said laughing sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," Gaara replied, "but let's get down to business. Lord Shoazai, you've been silent so far. Please inform us."

The frail man with the thin beard had sat with his hands folded on top of each other, a birthmark clearly showing on the back of his left hand.

"It started two years after the fourth ninja war had come to an end..." he started. Kiba sighed sensing a long story was coming up. Gaara's face remained unchanged. He was curious about the information. Anything that could lead him towards a solution. "People from our country have disappeared. Especially those who live outside of the big cities... the farmers... the lumberjacks... hard-working country folk... There have been kidnappings on several occasions. As of now, our number of missing people reached hunderd-seventy-one. No one knows where these have gone to. My people long for an explanation. Even the owners of this shinobi inn have had their loss. Their oldest girl, just a blind lass, was taken one night..."

Gaara averted his eyes to the couple behind the bar. The woman had returned to her husband, she buried her face into his neck. Has this inn become so run down because of the grief that hit this family? He felt sorry for them.

"Some bodies were found. Mangled beyond recognition at times. Seeing our history with… criminal organisations… my scouts have roamed the valleys looking behind every tree and in every brook. To no avail. But now... Something interesting happened." He squinted his eyes and looked at them from deep under his brow.  
"Just a week ago my scouts were travelling the coastline when they found a pair of footsteps on the beach. Strange... in an area so far from society. These footsteps trailed to sea and ended there, as if a couple of people waded into the water and did not come back. The coastline of the Land of River's in that area is known for its jagged cliffs and rough waters. No place for leisurely swimming. My scouts lay down for the night to watch. And see! Emerging from the water was a man, dressed in a dark heavy suit with some devices that must have made him able to travel underwater. When they lost sight of him in the thicket they were unable to track him down any further. More have gone in and out of the ocean. I've let my scouts retreat three days ago. We leave it up to you to find out the meaning of this."

"Very well," Gaara said determinant, "have one of your men accompany us to the location and we shall investigate it thoroughly. We'll find them."

"That's good, I put my trust in you Lord Kazekage," Shoazai said steadily. He then pointed at the guard on his left. "This is Takeo, he'll escort your group. I'll be waiting in my mansion in Tanigakure for your report."

"Very well," Gaara replied.

They heard soppy munching sounds coming from one end of the table. The ninja turned around to find one of the two Kiba's face inside a bowl of curry and rice, food flying across the table, curry sauce dripping from his chin. He looked up at them and licked his tongue all around his mouth. The lord of the Land of River's stared at him blankly and Matsuri pulled a face of disgust. Kiba scratched his neck and laughed nervously.  
"Akamaru is hungry you see," he explained.

"Arf!" his clone said.

"I think this is my cue to take my leave," Shoazai said with an eyebrow pulled up. His other guard who remained nameless helped him rise. The shinobi stood up and gave him a bow, Shaozai returning the act of respect towards Gaara.

"I hope to hear from you soon, Kazekage-sama," he said one last time before he spun his heel, paid the innkeepers and left the building.

"When we finish eating we'll leave immediately," Gaara said to the others.

* * *

"Ack!" Nana exclaimed and gritted her teeth. She was trying to force herself through a narrow path between two blackberry bushes. Their thorns scraped against her clothes. She still couldn't believe what had happened. The laboratory completely broken down. Everyone had to be evacuated and many died. Was that her fault? They had cleaned up rubble and bodies on the bottom of the ocean in a hurry, but a lot of junk washed on shore. On top of it all, experiment B26, known to her now as Ayumi, was still missing. Nana didn't have the guts to return to the capital city without trying to look for her. So here she was. She abandoned the salvaging team to roam this damned forest in search for her. They must retrieve her… even if she was found dead. Knowing doctor Heero, he would not rest until he knew what had become of her. But still the secrecy of their organisation was on the line. The laboratory… a disaster if someone found out. Thus removing their tracks had higher priority. She carried a pistol like tool, but it was no weapon. It was an electric gun used to start the mechanic device on the base of one's neck. She planned to use it on Ayumi. She waded through the thicket panting, scanning the ground.

'How could finding one person be so damn difficult? Where did she go?'

* * *

Gaara and the other seven shinobi were running swift like shadows through the woodland of Tani. They crossed several rivers that run down the various valley's. Up and down the hills and mountains they went, the terrain getting rougher the further they left Tanigakure behind.

"We're almost there now," Takeo said across his shoulder, "be cautious."

The Leaf and Sand shinobi were surprised at how fast he could move despite Tanigakure being far from a ninja town. They were a nation of craftsmen and merchants mostly. But then again, nobles always made sure to have professional protection.

"Hinata, what do you see with your byakugan?" Gaara asked the dark purple headed girl. The veins around her eyes signalled she was using her bloodline limit skill.

"About two miles ahead of us the forest stops. I see cliffs. Beyond there the sea."

"Any movement you can spot?"

"None yet, Gaara-sama," she replied.

"Alright, stay focused. And keep your nose sharp Kiba. I have a feeling in my gut it's unnaturally silent here."

"Yes sir!" he said from on top of his dog, "nothing but the brackish sea air and wet earth."

"My insects sense no chakra," Shino added, feeling ignored for not being asked. They all sensed Gaara was right. Not a birds chirp could be heard, nor a startled deer, nor any sight of rabbits shooting down their hole as they passed. It was as though the land had drawn in its breath… waiting and waiting…

"That's right, no chakra is ever sensed in these regions. It's why we never paid much attention," Takeo grunted.

'No chakra… people with little or no chakra are easily overlooked by ninja who focus on opponents with large chakra amounts as indicator of their strength. Is this why Sunagakure was so easily surprised by Veeran and Gunzen's attack?' Gaara wondered. Suddenly Hinata gasped for air.

"What is it?" Kankuro said on edge.

"I can see the beach. It's littered with stones and… and glass… wires… it's a mess!" she replied.

"The beach is a mess?" Takeo exclaimed in shock, "this is news indeed."

Gaara furrowed his brow, wondering what would come next. A little while later they stopped under the dark of the trees. Beneath them a steep path winded down to a beach.

"There is the faint smell of blood in the water," Kiba growled. Akamaru barked in agreement.

What they saw was the ruins of a building. One big block of concrete lay on its side.  
"B," Gaara mumbled to himself. A huge letter painted in blue on the side of what might've been a wall. It was thick and armored with steel pipes. It was obvious it had been part of a strong building. What had caused its collapse? There could be only one place where it came from. The ocean. "Sensory team, do you notice anything? Any persons?" he asked.

"I can't spot any people, Gaara-sama."

"My bugs are uneasy. Why? I don't understand."

"Was there anything known to your people about a building here?" Gaara asked Takeo.

"No, this is a complete surprise," he answered.

"Well, let's proceed down there and see for ourselves. Be on your guard!"

"I will stay here," Takeo told them, "and send a report immediately to Lord Shaozai about this discovery."

The Leaf and Suna shinobi jumped down the steep hill with ease and landed on the humid sand. They all had a sense of impending battle. The alarming feeling something was not right, hairs standing up in the neck. Kankuro called forth his Scorpion puppet just so he was ready. Matsuri looked unnerved and clutched one of the fast and deadly daggers she used in combat. Gaara scanned the area around him with his eyes, arms folded. He was ready.

"Be careful! If you look closely there are explosion tags everywhere! Even underground there are landmines," Hinata warned them. They proceeded to walk down the shoreline, bending over small pieces of evidence that there had been an inhabited fort close-by. Sakura picked a glass shard up and held it before the light. She felt it was exceptionally strong. She took out a little glass bottle and let it fall in.

"For lady Tsunade and Shizune," she explained.

As they proceeded closer to the rubble of the (to them unknown) laboratory the amount of explosives increased.  
"Watch out where you place your feet," Rin said. A butterfly flew past them. They watched how it fluttered above the piece of wall. A delicate monarch butterfly. It flew in circles.

"Well decide already, you gonna leave or no?" Kankuro said. As though on command it graced down. Right on top of an explosive tag. The ninja braced themselves.

"Jump!" Kiba screamed, sniffing sulphur. The bomb detonated, setting off the other explosive tags and landmines. The shinobi raced to the edges of the beach. Matsuri wasn't in time and by sheer force got pushed into the air. Gaara noticed her peril and quickly used his sand to pick her up and shield her from harm.  
'You're so cool, Gaara-sama!' she swooned in thought. Gaara quickly let her go when she was in safety and took a step away. Smoke rose up from the ground, the sand smouldering by the heat of the explosion, hardening. The remnants of the laboratory were blown into pieces.

"Shit!" Kiba spat.

"Those bombs were deliberately set up to destroy that rubble. But not only that, they could've just blown it up when they wanted to. They just left it there on the beach, inviting people to come have a look, inviting people to vanish along with the pieces of that building," Gaara said.

"I think you're right Gaara," Kankuro said nervously. Something was really weird here.

"Hinata what do you see in the ocean?" Gaara asked her. Naruto's fiancé strained her eyes to see into the depths of the water. Somewhere, about five miles off the shore, small beads of glass glistened on the bottom of the sea. Some loose rocks indicated there might have been a building, but it would have to be investigated closely. She reported her findings to Gaara. A building at 1,5 mile depth in the ocean, built in a crack of the earth. Someone didn't want to be found. That is a very clear indication they were hot on the tracks of the enemy. If only they arrived a little earlier... Something happened which destroyed all this. An attack maybe?

"Scan the area well…" Gaara said looking at Hinata. Her eyes searched the shoreline in both directions and the land beyond the beach. Almost she would have missed it. She squinted her eyes to focus.

"A girl!" she called out.

* * *

'How long have I been walking now?' Nana asked herself and scratched her nose. 'I think about two hours. Maybe I'm lost…'

Her white and blue outfit was smudged with mud and striped green where she had walked past plants. She had a long tear in the fabric on her thigh.

'I'm not made for tracking,' she sighed, 'should I stop?'

She thought of the people who had lived down at the fort. People who she had seen almost everyday, some of them lost forever. Her hands trembled and her eyes began to sting.

"Tears?" she sniffed and wiped them from her cheek with the back of her hand. She decided to continue just for a bit. All of a sudden she lost balance.

"Cursed root," she muttered as she crawled up to her knees. She looked over her shoulder and gasped. "It's you!"

* * *

The ninja ran through the forest as silent as the animals that lived in them. Hinata coördinated them towards the girl. A possible survivor? The vegetation was almost impenetrable here. They cut back the plants to reach their destination.

* * *

Nana bent over the body of one of the scientists. His leg was twisted into an unnatural position, a metal bar penetrating the flesh. Poor fellow. She checked his pulse and then her eyes softened. He was still alive. It was doctor Heero's personal assistant in lab B. He must've walked around in confusion after emerging from the sea until he collapsed. Suddenly she heard something rustling in the bushes close to her. _She had nothing with her to defend herself. _The Tabigarasu had expected the chances of exposure had drastically risen since their laboratory was destroyed and washed ashore. Hopefully the bomb tags would do the job of killing little spies. Her heart went tha-thump in her chest. The rustling came closer, she watched the leafs move. Nana held her breath... A deer shot out of the thicket. Both Nana and the young doe stood frozen in their tracks, looking in each other's eyes. Frightened the doe bolted away. Nana laughed in relief and bend herself over the fainted scientist.  
"I'll make a poultice of herbs and bandage your wounds. I'll get you home!" she told him, glad she could help.

* * *

The first thing Gaara saw was an arm. A rather pale arm with dried blood. Then came the girl attached to it. Lavender hair falling across her face and soft arch-shaped eyebrows slightly darker than her hair. She wore a skin-tight white suit with a plunging back and short sleeves and pants. It was soiled with blood and mud. Something glistened in the sun in her neck. Metallic. With a shock he recognised it was she same thing he saw on Veeran and Gunzen. That moment he wondered how something looking so innocent in their sleep could be so close to his enemy. Was this the face of a murderer? He realized this girl would come to play an important role in his life the upcoming weeks. Just, Gaara did not realize that didn't have to be limited to the political aspects of his life.

* * *

**A/N: Ha! I'm somewhat relieved I managed to weave the story to a point where Gaara first encounters Ayumi. I try to depict the canon characters like they are in the anime/manga and make the OC's diverse.  
****I'm really curious about your opinion. I would be happy to receive your feedback or suggestions :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Mystery Girl

Sakura squatted down next to Ayumi's body. A piece of glass penetrated her shoulder and she had scratches all over her arms and legs. With gentleness in contrast to her fighting style the pink-haired kunoichi held Ayumi's wrist and pressed her fingers alongside her artery. Under the thin skin the blue-green vein throbbed.

'The pulse is almost normal.'

Sakura grabbed a small flashlight from her pocket and pushed Ayumi's eyelids apart. The beam pointed straight into her iris. The other ninja watched a frown appear on her forehead.

"What is it, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked.

"Her pupils don't shrink. There... there's something going on with her eyes... It's strange. The color doesn't seem right."

"What do you mean?" Matsuri asked tensed.

"They are blue... but fogged or... they have a milky shine. Whatever the case, she's definitely knock-out," she replied. Sakura examined the wound on her shoulder and carefully extracted the shard.

"This material…" she breathed, "it's like the glass we found on the beach." It shimmered between her fingers, the multi-coloured refracted light falling on her face. Sakura stored the piece in another container and turned to the girl. She focused her mind on her fingertips, gathering chakra from her stomach and transporting it to her hands. The others could feel the tingle of energy in the air. Soon after a green glow emitted from her spread palms and seeped into the skin of the unconscious girl. The wound was beginning to close.

"What the fuck? Why would you heal her?" Kiba asked incredulously, "what if she's one of _them_?"

"We ought to interrogate her right? Besides... I'm a medic nin, I can't ignore someone wounded... Even if she could be my enemy..." Even after Karin got gravely hurt in the battle between Sasuke and Danzo she overcame her inner-struggle to let her die in order to save her. Save her... even though the sensory-type girl followed Sasuke closely at his side, the place Sakura secretly had wished to fill in her heart of hearts all those years since Sasuke left the village. Regardless if Karin was both her competitor in battle and love that moment, something compelled Sakura to always save those she could.

Kankuro stared at the girl in the skin tight suit. "Wow! A bit small on the bosom for my liking, but dang! Quite a babe!" he commented with a lopsided grin and received a look from Rin that said he was a perverted nutter. Gaara huffed expecting as much from his brother.

"What?" Kankuro exclaimed holding his hands up apologetically, "can't a man speak his mind?"

"Sure... now Temari isn't around," Rin replied grinning making Kankuro laugh. If he made remarks on a girl's physique with his sister there... Boy, he'd be in for a row!

"Uhm... Shouldn't we constrain her before she wakes up?" Hinata chimed in.

"Good call, Hinata-san," Matsuri replied. She wanted to move forward but to their surprise Gaara beat her at it. He squatted down and picked Ayumi up, holding her in a sitting position. Her body was limp and wiggly as made of jelly. Her head fell back against his shoulder. Gaara felt the humidity of her clothes and the cold radiating from her as she lay against his chest. Did it rain here or... did she emerge from the ocean? Gaara gazed at her face from the corner of his eyes. People used to comment about his pale complexity, in-fact, Temari suggested numerous times he could use the rooftop of their house to sunbathe like she did. She said he hid too much under his Kage hat. Temari would lay on the rooftop in her bathingsuit on a stretcher, rubbing sunlotion over herself. As if he'd ever follow up on such a ridiculous suggestion. However, this girl's skin was even whiter than his... And so translucent... the thin veins on her eyelids and those running from her neck up to her cheeks exposed. He wondered, did she ever see the sun?

"She's cold," he commented in his regular monotone. Sakura nodded.

"She's slightly undercooled," she replied whilst picking a small peg of quick salt from her pocket. She placed it under Ayumi's nose and within an instant she starting snorting and coughing. Her body rocked against Gaara's who supported her while loosely holding her wrists with two cuffs made of sand. Ayumi's eyelids fluttered a few seconds before she opened them fully. Two milky blue irises stared straight up and past Gaara. Her lips parted. He could see the captive became aware she wasn't alone. Ayumi lifted her head from Gaara's shoulder and tried to sit up by herself. She arose from a deep chemic slumber caused by spores of barbiturate in her bloodsystem and her muscles did not yet cooperate. As she fell back into Gaara's chest a white flash of pain shot through her forehead.

_Tape roughly put across her mouth. A pair of strong hands grabbing hold of her waist, swinging her across his shoulder. Hot tears down her cheeks. Where was sh__e going? _

'What... am I recalling...?'

She groaned under the pressure of the drumming in her head. Did it mean... she strongly felt... was she kidnapped? Instinctively she raised her hand to support her head, but something constrained her. Something scoured against her wrists, coarse like sand. She jerked and writhed her hands around to get free herself. A moan escaped her lips and Ayumi became fearful.

"See! She belongs to enemy camp!" Rin spat, perceiving Ayumi's struggle as a sign of hostility.

"Don't move," someone spoke beside her ear. A calm and masculine voice. Had she not been scared to wake like this, she would have recognised there was no malice in that voice, but finding herself in this dark nightmare it just seemed threatening. She groaned and thrashed her head in all directions. This girl looked so frightened, Gaara felt sorry he had to tighten the cuffs, but then Rin stepped forward and pressed a dagger against Ayumi's throat. Ayumi stiffened at the feel of the icy metal against her bare skin. Being blind, all other senses were heightened. Her underlip trembled and Matsuri, Kiba and Hinata shifted uncomfortably. This was not the image of the ruthless enemy they had hoped to find. They had wished to catch a culprit to blame for the countless deaths and disappearances, someone they could vent their anger on, but watching this blind girl stiffen like a plank under the touch of a simple dagger made them feel foolish. As if they were the bad guys of the situation.

"Are you done?" Rin said threateningly, not sharing any of these emotions. The frail girl shivered against Gaara's body. A second time a memory rose to her consciousness.

_Pain concentrated in her el__bow, something sharp __breaking through her skin. Ice running through her veins… immobilizing. _Something triggered these horrible flashes. Gaara watched how she contorted her face into a grimace.

"Stay put, Rin," Gaara commanded as sharp as the look in his eyes. Taken aback Rin withdrew the kunai and moved away. She scanned the faces of her comrades and noticed some exposed sympathy for this imposter. Bah! How could they be so easily deceived? Wasn't it clear how suspicious this actress was? Her eyes trailed back to the girl before them. The first one of those who killed so many innocents to fall into their hands. Trapped!

'You're not gonna slip away from me,' she thought angrily and glowered. If looks could kill Ayumi would be mortally wounded.

"I am Gaara... Can you tell us your name?" Gaara asked. His voice demanded an answer but was soothing all the same. The fogginess in her head did not reside yet.

'My name... Why is that so hard to answer? Didn't I - Didn't I talk to someone who told me it's important to remember?... Aghh, what's my name!?'

"She's in shock," Sakura said watching the girl's inner struggle, "or she suffers from one of the most riddling and complex ailments known to humankind... Amnesia."

"Let's hope for her she's just in shock, or the intelligence department will know what to do," Shino spoke from behind his coat.

"Can you stand?" Gaara asked. Slowly she nodded. Some of these people were scary, but this guy holding her... Maybe he could be trusted a little. Ayumi pushed herself up and wiggled on her legs like a new-born foal. An arm unexpectedly wrapped around her back. This body was different, possibly of the girl who had spoken before about amnesia. Who were these people and how did she get herself in this stupid situation? Somewhere close she heard the rustling of clothes. Something soft was pressed into her hands.

"Here, wear this poncho." It was Gaara, handing her a camel coloured garment he had taken with him for cold nights. She grabbed the poncho wordlessly. The material was soft and thick, a pleasant change from her damp divingsuit-like outfit. Sakura helped her wrap it around her shoulders.

"Tsk! Damn, I can't stand watching a girl this hopeless," Kankuro sighed, "yo Kiba! Can she ride Akamaru's back?" Akamaru whined and sniffed Ayumi's leg. He lay down flat on his belly so that Ayumi could mount him with ease.

"That's a yes," Kiba smirked.

"What do we do next?" Matsuri asked.

"We return to the inn," Gaara said after giving it some thought.

"Why? Are you hungry again?" Kiba asked surprised.

'Idiot,' Gaara thought, but gave nothing away of his thoughts. "There is something I need to verify."

"Oh I get it, Gaara. The inn-keepers' blind daughter was missing, right?"

"That's correct," Gaara replied his brother, "before we take this girl as a political captive we ought to eliminate the possibility she is one of this country's missing citizens."

They all nodded and readied to continue their journey. Ayumi dug her fingers in the dog's fur. It was somewhat alienating to sit on an animal, she could not remember if she had ever experienced such a thing, but the dog's body heat felt nice. He moved forward with her hobbling on his back. Sunlight fell on her face. She turned her head to the sky to fully enjoy the rays of warmth.

"What the fuck..." Kiba whispered to Kankuro, "she really is blind. She is staring straight into the sun without a flinch. I've only seen Shino able to withstand that... but that guy even sleeps with his shades on!" The two young men chuckled.

'Ah, what's this feeling as though being cursed..?' Kiba thought, aware of a cloud of tension floating his direction. He looked over his shoulder to find Shino glowering at him through his dark shades. The hood of his jacket seemed to be pulled even deeper over his face, concealing himself in shadows. 'He overheard me,' Kiba gulped guiltily.

Luckily for him it didn't lead to a confrontation as Gaara jumped onto the tree branches. They were leaving.

During the way back Hinata and Sakura attempted to make conversation with the lavender haired mystery girl, but got no response. Sakura was not all too surprised. It didn't matter if she was an evil person or not... If she had recently experienced a traumatic event she could be unwilling or even unable to speak. Her spooked reactions over cracking twigs and insects flying near her ear confirmed her suspicion. Ayumi seemed to perceive everything as threatening and clamped onto Akamaru as if he was her final lifeline. Well... she was blind after all... in the end that could be a good explanation too.

"Hey, I'm Sakura. Are you alright? Relax... We are trying to find out who you are," she tried to ease the girl's worries, "soon we'll arrive at an inn where you can sit a while in peace."

Ayumi moved her head in Sakura's direction and nodded. This voice was similar to the one of the girl who had supported her earlier. And her shoulder... apparently this 'Sakura' healed her.

'Am I really being kidnapped or am I taken somewhere safe? Owh I don't understand.'

"If you relax you'll notice it's actually quite nice," Kiba told her. She hadn't heard him move closer so his voice came seemingly out of nowhere. She gasped a little startled.

"Eheh, sorry," he laughed sheepishly, "but hey, if you are so tensed you can't enjoy the wind and the sun."

Somewhere he had expected a reply but Ayumi gave no sign of having understood him, she only frowned a little. Kiba glanced questioningly at Sakura. She shook her head indicating he shouldn't wait for an answer.

"Well, uhm... see ya," Kiba said uneasily and moved to Shino. "She's like a doll or something... no reply, no nothing..." he told the bug-user uncomfortably but then noticed Shino's penetrating glance.

"Are you still upset? Ah... I'm sorry buddy, no judgement was intended. If you like those glasses and that old jacket it's fine with me. I like you the same."

"Old... jacket..." Shino replied slowly and ticked off.

"Ah - Shino? Why are your bugs-?" Kiba nervously mowed his arm in the air as Shino's insects started to circle around his head, but more and more were crawling from under Shino's jacket. "Shino!?"

He sprang forward swiftly past Hinata, Matsuri and finally Gaara and Kankuro who formed the front of their formation. An angry cloud of bugs chased after him. "Shino I'm sorry, no need to mope, you got swag alright?... SWAG!" Shino stared at him and decided he wouldn't let his friend off that easily. The bugs started to chase Kiba even more ferociously and he quickly dissapeared out of sight.

"SWAAAAAAAAGG," he wailed from a distance.

"Wow, where do they get the energy," Matsuri giggled.

"Yes," Hinata answered smiling, completely undisturbed by her comrades natural behaviour, "by the end of the day they'll make up."

"We are in an allied country and close to Tanigakure, but it's unwise to make this much noise," Gaara said.

"Understood," Shino replied behind him. Dutifully he called back his bugs, but Kiba didn't return. A short while later they broke through the trees and landed on a dirt road. They saw Kiba smirking and leaning against the fence surrounding the inn's garden. Ayumi nearly fell off Akamaru's back from the shock of the landing. Thankfully the dog switched his positioning to catch her blow. She patted the dog's flank gratefully.

"So we're back at the inn," Sakura mumbled. She looked up to the three-story wooden building in front of her.

"Now we'll find out if she belongs to this country..." Gaara responded.

* * *

**A/N: OMG... I posted again... I'm back guys. **

**I thought it would be realistic for Ayumi to have some post-traumatic stress from what happened, but soon she'll gain confidence and make a remarkable discovery about her adjusted body. Also will add more Gaara moments. Next chapter she will meet her family... will this split family be whole again?**

**Make my day and leave a comment! :3**


	7. Chapter 7: Hinata's Rock and Goodbyes

Chapter 7: Hinata's Rock and Goodbyes

The Leaf and Suna ninja stood before the inn. From the signboard's flaking paint the name _River's Fortune_ was barely visible. Ayumi carefully slid down Akamaru's back.

'What a nice smell!'

The sweet fragrance of the frangipani bush, white fleshy petals with a yellow core, and the purple wisteria tree, with flowers drooping down in clusters, filled the air. The ground behind the fence surrounding the inn was overgrown with various types of herbs like mint, coriander and basil, likely used by the cook. Probably this was the reason the garden got attended to this neatly.

Kiba wrinkled his nose and sneezed. "So many flowers make my nose itch," he said. Akamaru whined in agreement.

"Will you get Lord Shaozai here Kiba?" Gaara asked, "ask him is he has a missing person list of this country."

"Sure, no problem," the inu-clan's ninja responded, "well, I'm off then!" He rushed past Ayumi and jumped on Akamaru's back. "Let's go boy!"

In a moment of silence Ayumi's growling stomach seemed a loud invasive noise. Gaara watched her across his shoulder. She stood there barefooted, her head tilted downwards uneasily with strands of hair loosely falling in front of her face and her arms hugging herself across his poncho. She waited silently for what was going to happen next, accepting for now the confusing circumstances she had herself end up in. The metal plug on the base of her neck was a clear sign of her relation to Veeran and Gunzen, but they were miles apart in personality. Was it only caused by memory loss? Even if she belonged to the Land of River's he knew the rocky ride was not over for her. They would have to find an explanation for her appearance near the destroyed base amongst other things. Gaara turned around without saying anything and opened the door to the inn. Matsuri guided Ayumi through the portal and to the tables in the back of the restaurant.

As they passed Aki looked up from pouring a cold beer for a guest which had arrived earlier that day.  
'Tsk! It's those bastards again...' he first dismissed the group when he caught eye of the young Kage and the dumbass with face-paint which resembled him in some way. His eyes returned to the beer just when he saw a glimpse of something unfamiliar. A strange girl was guided into their establishment with lavender hair. She had her eyes fixed on nothing as she shuffled forward with a brown-haired young kunoichi leading her way. Aki's heart skipped a beat. He recognised that distant unseeing look. She was blind. Involuntarily a strange yelp escaped his throat. The girl looked alarmed and quickly turned her ear towards him.

"W-welcome back," he stammered watching her intrigued. He placed the beer he was preparing on a serving tray with a small bowl of nuts, walked off to table four spilling everywhere and dashed off into the kitchen.

The ninja sat down on the various coloured cushions, Ayumi sitting next to Matsuri on one side of the table.

"We should order something to eat while we wait, some dango will do," Kankuro suggested.

"A warm meal is always welcome on a mission," Hinata agreed and rested her arm on the table.

"Wait...! Look at the size of that rock! Did naruto...?" Kankuro suddenly exclaimed ogling Hinata's 5-karat diamond on a white golden ring. She laughed self-consciously at first, but decided that she would enjoy everyone's marvel over the engagement ring Naruto bought her three weeks ago. She had silently slipped it around her finger missing Naruto and eager to let the metal band remind her of the happiness when he proposed to her.

"Kankuro, you almost sound like Temari," Gaara retorted dryly not in the slightest surprised at Hinata parading her ring.

"You knew about this Gaara?" Kankuro asked half-insulted, "and you didn't tell me!?"

"Naruto asked me to keep it a secret until he was ready," he replied calmly.

"So we'll have a party soon," Kankuro grinned wide-toothed, "HELL YEAH! If its Naruto's wedding it is bound to become a memorable evening!"

"And I'm the friend helping her plan for it," Sakura chimed in with a triumphant grin scooting closer to Hinata.

"I remember she always fainted when Naruto was around," Kiba said chuckling, then turned to Hinata with a cheeky grin "hope you're ready for the wedding night! If you know what I mean." Hinata blushed furiously but had a faint smile playing on her lips as if reminded of a secret.

"Ah- wait? Have you two already-?" Kiba exclaimed nearly jumping from his seat while slamming his palms on the table in total bewilderment.

"Calm down dog-face!" Sakura snapped while protectively placing an arm across Hinata's shoulder, "it's none of your business. Besides, we're out of our teens, wouldn't it be time to have a serious relationship?"

Suddenly Matsuri started wiggling in her seat, coyly throwing glances at Gaara with pouted lips.  
'If I could be his bride... 'Sabaku no Matsuri'... KYAAAHH! SO EMBARASSING!' her inner-self squealed.  
Kankuro snorted trying to hold his laughter and elbowing Gaara hoping he wasn't too obvious. If Gaara understood what was going on he made no sign of it. Perhaps it was the wiser decision to ignore both Matsuri's looks and Kankuro's elbowing.

"Getting married... wow! Congratulations Hinata!" Rin smiled. After the commotion about the upcoming wedding between Konoha's hero and the beautiful heir of the Hyuuga-clan settled, Matsuri turned to Ayumi who had silently listened to their happy chatter. She knew none of these people but all this excitement was infectious, making even her feel giddy.

"Hey... did I introduce myself already? I'm Matsuri," a voice spoke next to Ayumi. "So uhm... what would you like to eat? They have different types of ramen. And... salads... or maybe you'd like grilled fish?"

"A light soup would do," Sakura said overhearing the question. "We don't know when she had her last meal. She could get an upset stomach or worse if she eats too heavily. I've seen people die instantly when they ate too many carbs at once after a period of starvation."

"Right..." Matsuri answered with a nod, "then... how about beef broth with vegetables?"

Ayumi nodded in agreement. Gaara was quietly discussing something with Kankuro when he saw someone bolt out of the kitchen in a hurry. It was the ten-year old boy who had served them so rudely the other day. He made his way to their table.

"Hello! Welcome back honored guests, can I take your orders?" he asked remarkably cheerful and polite. He curiously glanced at Ayumi, bending his knees and turning his head to peak past her hair and catch a glimpse of her face. Kankuro scraped his throat visibly annoyed to meet this brat again, despite the 180 degrees change of attitude.

"I'll have two portions of dango and you better serve them while they are hot!" he said gruffly. Expecting to see defiance in the boy he cocked up an eyebrow as the kiddo did nothing but hastily scribbling his order down.

"Okay, anything else?"

They all placed their order, choosing for Kiba as well, and the boy didn't seem to know how quick to return to the kitchen. Once he dropped off the note to the cook he bolted out and ran through the front door. It didn't take long for the cook to bring up their dishes either. A wonderfully smelling curry with cocos rice passed Ayumi's nose and was placed in front of Rin. She turned her head after the scent.

'Did I smell this before?' she thought unsure. Then she recalled something unexpectedly...

"_Will I ever cook like you uncle Hisao?" a little voice said. _

"_Sure!" he casually responded._

"_But I'm blind... I can't see what I'm holding... I can't see when the meat is done or-or I will cut myself with a knife," she continued._

"_True, but people often mistake how much devotion you need to put in food. Your disability will be a hinder surely, especially in the beginning, but it will also force you to put devotion in the dishes you are preparing, because you will need to be mindful of every step in the process you take. That separates a good cook from the mediocre ones, you know."_

"_Yeah..." the girl replied listlessly._

"_You don't believe me? I'll help you," the older man replied and guided her closer to the counter. His hands were so big they completely covered her shoulders._

"_Really?" she replied with both wonder and excitement._

"Of course!_ So come on. I'll hand you vegetables and tell you their names and how to prepare them. So you try remembering everything, alright?"_

"_Yes!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands in delight._

"_What's this?" he handed her something round. She brought it close to her nose and a sharp odor stung her eyes. She grimaced in disgust._

"_Eeew, it's a peeled onion!" _

_Her uncle laughed loudly. _

"_See! This was easy, but you probably know more than you think," he said, a smile in his voice. She giggled alongside of him._

"_They make me teary," she grinned, "that's how I know."_

A little dizzy she emerged from the memory, aware of something wet trickling down her cheek.

'I feel alone... But I'm not sure whom I'm missing... I hate this...'

She wiped the tears that danced down with the back of her hand, hoping no one noticed.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asked. Instinctively she knew the question was for her. She nodded and bend over her bowl of steaming soup. Concentrating on eating was better than thinking. Hopefully no one would inquire further upon it.

"Where's that twin brother of yours, eh?" they heard a woman call out irritably from outside. "Don't you think we don't know your schemes, little punk! We have a ninja-inn and plenty experience with _jutsu_. Exchanging yourselves with logs when it's time for payment and that!"

A second later Kiba stepped in together with Lord Shaozai, his guards and the innkeepers.

"Yeah okay lady, he stays out this time," he responded apologetically. Lord Shaozai proceeded towards Gaara. Aki pulled on Mizawa's arm and the family looked their way. Gaara watched them approach silently, wondering if they would now witness a family reunion. The boy's strange behaviour made him guess he recognised the girl. In appearance however they looked nowhere related.

"Welcome back to our humble establishment," Mizawa said flustered with a weak smile when she arrived at their table. All three bowed curtly, but Mizawa's eyes quickly scanned the faces around the two tables before her eyes landed on Ayumi. Her expression went blank for a moment. She glanced unsurely at her husband and son.

"Uhm... well..." she continued and plucked on her apron, "Lord Shaozai, could I offer you something to drink?"

"No thank you, Mizawa-san, I'm fine," he politely declined.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," she replied dispirited. She hesitated to turn around and frowned at Aki.

"We found this girl on our mission," Kankuro said. Gaara watched their faces intently as his brother continued, "she is blind and confused. Could this be your missing daughter?"

Ayumi held her breath. 'Daughter! Could this be my home? These... are my parents? B-but...'

"No," the woman sighed wearily, "our daughter is blind and she seems to be of the same age and approximately the same height... but our daughter had brown flowing hair, hazel eyes and a darker skintone. Similar to us."

Gaara saw the years of grief clearly etched in her face. It seems they really had their hopes up for a moment. "You are sure?" he asked.

"Bloody hell! What kind of parents wouldn't recognise their own daughter?" Daisuke sneered.

"Oi!" Kankuro shot at him glowering. Didn't these people understand this was the _Kazekage_ they were talking to?

"I'm sorry," Daisuke bowed guiltily, "We miss our daughter... But I shouldn't have fallen out of line like that. It's so kind of you to think of our baby girl when you found this young woman. But she's not our daughter. I hope she will find her family."

"Yes... We know all too well what's it like to miss someone precious. We hope everything will turn out well," Mizawa added, "If you will excuse us now."

They both bowed another time. Mizawa prodded Aki in the ribs when he stood motionless with his eyes fixed on Ayumi. He snapped out of his thoughts and followed his parents, but not without looking over his shoulder a final time.

"A shame..." Shino said.

"Yes it is," Shaozai replied, "I have a picture of every citizen missing in the country, but I know of no one with her features. I've brought you a copy Kazekage-sama, in case you ever meet someone again that isn't missing among Suna's citizens.

Gaara nodded understandingly and accepted the document from Shaozai. A chair scraped at the other end of the restaurant. The man who had quietly drank his beer threw a tip on the table and pulled the hood of his floor-length black coat deeper across his face. He left wordlessly.

'He's had an eye on us since we arrived,' Gaara thought.

"I hope you permit I give you this advice," Gaara said softly turning to Shaozai, "the internal stability of your country is at high risk. We found a recently collapsed base hidden a few miles off-shore. There are people moving in your country which cannot be trusted."

"A hidden base..." Shaozai mumbled bitterly reminded of Akatsuki's cave, "we try to keep as tight security as possible, but we are a nation of craftsmen and traders. I do not have the capacity to keep control over our most rural areas."

"Then I promise in the name of Suna that we will aid you," Gaara said.

"Your offer is most appreciated. It's good to have allies such as Suna, Kazekage-sama." The two men bowed their heads to eachother.

"Although I trust the innkeepers, this place is not completely safe of eavesdropping. Please sent full encrypted report to my office, Kazekage-sama."

"You will receive it soon," Gaara responded.

* * *

A short while later they paid and exited the inn. For a last moment the Suna and Konoha ninja were together. They silently enjoyed the moment since they might not see eachother again for a few months.

"It would be better if you return to Konahagakure and report to Naruto and Lady Tsunade," Gaara told the Leaf shinobi. They nodded and smiled back at Gaara.

"Oi! Take care you guys. And tell Naruto he better prepare his finest for the upcoming Chunin exams, because we're coming strong this year!" Kankuro smirked.

"Is that so? Wait till you meet Shino's cousin, she's considered a prodigy!" Kiba retorted. Shino stood a little taller with the sun bouncing off his shades as though it reflected his pride.

"Sounds like good times are ahead," Gaara said, "I'm looking forward."

They said their final goodbyes and then the Suna and Konoha shinobi each turned an opposite direction and vanished.

* * *

Kankuro was appointed to carry Ayumi. Al though she didn't seem particularly heavy, he was the bulkiest guy of them. After a six hour run they stopped to rest beside a small brook. Kankuro let Ayumi off his back. The cool grass tickled her ankles but was refreshing. As the ninja crouched down to unpack some stuff from their bags Ayumi took some steps forward, closer to the river that flowed down from the mountain behind the wood.

"Watch out!" Matsuri called at her back.

'Would serve her right,' Rin thought smugly. To their surprise Ayumi stopped her track just in time. She felt drawn towards the water, as though she was pulled by a magnetic field. With her mind's eye she envisioned the brook running, sensed the flow of water. Strange... It was almost as though she could see it. The air was cooler this close above the river. It felt pure. She filled her lungs with it.

"Be careful, one more step and you'll fall into the water," Gaara's deep voice spoke close behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her to safety invoking a strange sensation through her body. For a moment she felt connected to Gaara, as if she was an extension of him. The sense of unity startled her and the feeling stopped immediately.

'He is almost 6 feet tall, well-trained but still slim... I'm not sure how I know this, but I can _feel _it. Perhaps I know it from before... when he was holding me,' she reasoned.

They ate a quick meal of beef jerky, energy bars and water and sat in half a circle under the trees. Matsuri tried to sit as close to Gaara as she could without seeming like a stalker. Ayumi had her back against the trunk of a chestnut tree and quietly munched on the oatmeal bar. The chirping of a couple blackbirds drifted down the tree.

'They sound so cheerful.' The thought made her smile.

"What are you so happy about?" Rin asked unable to mask her irritability. Ayumi shook her head in response, still finding it hard to speak, not that she liked her first words to be directed at the medic-kunoichi anyway. She was the only one who was truly hostile towards her so far and it made her very uncomfortable.

"Tsk! Still won't talk," Rin muttered under her breath. Kankuro shot a worried glance at Gaara. He could tell from his brother's eyes they shared the same concern. Rin was being too emotional over this girl. This was unlike the otherwise peaceful élite guard. She lost her beloved brother Miyuga to the yet unidentified enemies and presumably projected her hate on Ayumi. A ninja fostering revenge made a deadly combination.  
But Gaara didn't have long to think over a solution to her emotional unbalance. He became aware of a presence at the other side of the brook... watching them... He stood up casually, never giving away that he was already prepared to meet his opponent head on. Kankuro scowled and grabbed his summoning scroll to call out his puppets. Matsuri and Rin took a stance ready for a fight. The tree leaves rustled. The brook rippled melodiously with the grass on its banks dancing with the wind. The ninja each stared at a spot on the other side. The air was heavy laden... electric... Ayumi sensed something was going on and she was still the one closest to the water. Intently she listened for sounds and subconsciously held her breath not to make any herself. The seconds that passed felt like minutes.  
Then, something stirred behind the bushes and a raspy voice ended the silence. Ayumi's heart banged in her chest and her unseeing eyes sperred wide open.

"Giiirll-lyy..."


	8. Chapter 8: The Kidnapper Trapped

Chapter 8 – The Kidnapper Trapped

"Giirl-lyyy…"

That voice sent an electric chill down her spine, and not a positive one. She knew in an instant that they had met before. Every fiber in her being wasn't welcoming another like experience. Gaara realized this as well. The lavender-head had stiffened up notably and the man's taunting voice betrayed they were acquainted. On top of that... If he knew her… than he surely had something to do with the secret undersea base and the disappearance of hundreds of people. In other words: they had to catch this man. Alive, preferably.

A shadow emerged from the bushes and stepped forward into the light, clapping humorlessly.

"Your ninja-senses continue to awe me," he sneered and then continued in deadly tone, "but your little ninja-play is over. Hand me the girl."

"Matsuri and Rin, protect her!" Gaara commanded sternly. They had to be precocious in advancing in combat against this man. The intruder pulled his hood back and revealed his face. It was twisted into a sickly smile by two jagged scars stretching from his mouth corners and curling at the end. The physician who attended him didn't do such a nice job on stitching him back. Matsuri and Kankuro were visibly troubled by the look of it.

"You can call me... Sumairi," he said while trailing the scar with his fingertips "If you are wondering, this was given to me during the Third Ninja War. You can make it up by handing over B26, I've missed her so," he continued with mock affection, sniffling theatrically while he looked at Ayumi with fake longing. Gaara saw from the corner of his eye how Ayumi fell on all fours. She gagged and spat bile on the ground. Matsuri rushed to her aid and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. The onset of a violent migraine made her nauseous and off-balance. Her blanc mind was like a white-screen on which a badly edited film got projected. Memory followed memory. Like the initial pieces of a puzzle after being layed down, offering a glimpse of the full picture of her lost memory.

_Hands yanked her back into a strong embrace. She tried to wrestle him, but it didn't work. _

"_If you won't scream, I'll let you speak," he said. His breath was hot and sour._

"_Leave my brother out of this..."_

_Someone stumbling forward close to her._

"_Yumi!" _

_A fist colliding with someone's face. Her little brother. Rough arms throwing her across their shoulder. Earthy scents. She was taking far, far away through the woodlands. The scenery changed. She found herself chained onto a metal bed.  
"B26"._

_A man with a deep stern voice hovered above her. _

"_From now on you're mine.I'll turn you into something beautiful."_

_A cold fluid ran through her veins and she was lowered into a tub of water that smelled of chemicals. Moments later she woke up, glass encasing her. Someone was on the other side. She couldn't see, but she could _feel _their presence. Somehow she was aware of the room around her, filled with machinery. Her arms and legs shook as they were teased with electric current. _

"_Seems okay," a man with a notepad, "B26's progress is on schedule."_

_The next thing she knew it took a long time before she would be conscious again. She slept and drifted in a twilight between being dead and alive. Time itself stood still. She had no idea how many weeks or months passed before the next memory._

_She was all alone if it wasn't for the petite girl in front her. The film replaying this memory is unstable. Something tampered with her thinking, some drug slowed her down._

"_You've become a chimaera." The words echoed through her head._

"_You're plugged into a computer and you're still in a medically induced coma."_

"_B26... Where are you? Ah! Here you are."_

"_Ayumi. Your name is Ayumi."_

"That's right. My name is Ayumi," she thought and snapped her head up. She stood up straight without needing Matsuri's assistance and growled viciously at Sumairi. One foot before the other, clenching her fists. Oh, how badly she wanted to hit him and wipe the smile off his face.

"Yes! Come hither!" he exclaimed joyously.

"Stop," Gaara said grabbing Ayumi's arm, "we will handle him."

She blinked a few times in surprise and turned her head in his direction. Gaara was too focused on his opponent. He faced Sumairi . "Who do you work for?" he commanded.

"I don't see it as working _for _someone. Our relationship can be defined as one of mutual cooperation towards a shared goal."

"Quit stalling you clown and answer the question!" Kankuro spat back.

"Why so serious?" Sumairi replied. "So, you want to know Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara didn't respond apart from crossing his arms.

"Well, there's not much left secret about a secret society if I'd reveal too much," he said matter-of-factly and then continued, "But, I will tell you this...In times of war, who writes history? The losers?- _No... Noo..._ The prize of war is not just victory, it's the primate of the victor that history is as he reports. The victor spreads their ideology across the world. Their standard. And all becomes legit in their supreme reasoning. Everything has to aim for that standard. Thousands of deaths, through casualty or hunger... Lands occupied... Traditions crushed... What do you think happens with the forgotten survivors? With no land to return? Yet the world does not mourn for these losses. It's only the plight of the loser to submit to the will of the victor. No questions asked, no need either. Resistance becomes an act of terrorism, a coupé d'etat! This is politics as we know, isn't it Kazekage? Let me ask you... Do you know what is justice?"

Gaara remained silent for a few seconds and then responded calmly "if you're talking about the last ninja war, Suna has extended their aid to various countries and with our own hands we have helped rebuild what was lost, we paid pensions to families of victims. This was only fair."

Sumairi chuckled, "yes, yes, the _defined_ victems. Well, call me a terrorist, call me a rebel. Or perhaps I am just a freedom fighter? Call me whatever you like. But know this... Gaara of the Sand... We will not stop until we are even!"

He growled and a set of shuriken shot out of his sleeves as he jumped forward with fierce eyes. Gaara used his sand to catch the blows while Matsuri and Kankuro deflected the other few with their kunai. Gaara stood with his arms crossed. More and more sand floated from his gourd. A spike aimed at the kidneys shot forward towards Sumairi. He smirked in mid-air, making himself even ghastlier if that as possible, and then... vanished. Gaara's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Where did he go? Sumairi had repositioned himself behind them, running towards Matsuri. A long thin blade slid down from his cloak. Gaara's sand flew at high speed towards them and she was within an ace of being protruded if Gaara did not deflect the attack at the last second. The sand turned around after Sumairi. Kankuro's puppet Black Ant ran forward with cackling joints. Gaara lifted his hand and formed bullets. With Gaara attacking from behind and Black Ant shooting poison needles from the front they had Sumairi in a tight spot. The only way out was to jump up, but Rin had that exit covered by throwing explosive tags at him. A large explosion blasted heated air into their face, but even before the dust lay down Sumairi was hurrying towards Ayumi from behind them.

"Shit!" Kankuro exclaimed.

'Is this a teleportation jutsu?' Gaara thought.

Ayumi heard the drumming footsteps closing in.

'That bastard, let him come!'

She took a stance. This time a small, long-necked tool glistened in the light, barely visible under Sumairi's sleeve.

'With this, little girl, you'll be doctor Heero's puppet! The transmitter will activate and he'll be able to control you from a distance like a toy".

He jumped up into the air somersaulting, aiming to land behind her. A splash of sand formed a barrier shielding Ayumi and whirled to entrap Sumairi. This time Gaara was prepared for it. He lightly squinted his eyes to look for any slightest sign of Sumairi's trick to disappear. A one handed seal indeed. Within an instant he was gone and the tentacles of sand were only gripping air.

'So it _is _a type of teleportation justu,' he thought as he scanned the area with his eyes. 'He appeared so far within a ten meter radius of his original position, that's likely his limit. He has aimed to teleport out of our sight... Which means...'

Abruptly Gaara turned around. Needle thin rays of sand shot forward. Sumairi didn't have time to evade the attack, they protruded his legs. He screamed in pain. Gaara lifted his hand and his sand whizzed around Sumairi's lower legs and feet until they were covered and his movements constricted.

"Try teleporting, you'll loose your legs," Gaara told him. Sumairi gritted his teeth. He was in a bind now.

* * *

"What is it Snake?" Nana asked. She was sitting in front of a small fire she had created. Until now she was quietly humming a song to herself while she played with the fire's shape. Gorou, doctor Heero's personal assistant, was resting on his side. They were on their way back to the Capital. The man who she spoke to was a cross-breed. His tongue danced in the air.  
"I can smell them," he answered.

"Smell _who_?" Nana wanted to know. She peered at his muscular back with curiosity. His green and yellow striped skin shimmered in the dim light. He wore a white ragged tank top and a pair of black slacks.

"Hn," he grunted. He began walking away from them.

"Wait, we have to keep low-key!" Nana told him nervously.

"Sumairi," he said, "that fool got himself into a fight, but he doesn't know what he's up against. I can _smell _them. They are stronger."

"F-fighting..." Nana stammered. 'He must've found Ayumi!'

"I'm going," Snake said snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hey, wait! Don't you know who I am? I need you to escort us back!" she said angrily standing up, flames blazing up beside her.

He stopped for a moment and looked at her from across his shoulder.  
"The doctor wouldn't want any of these ninja to get their hands on one of us." There was no denying. If Sumairi was getting himself caught there'd be even more trouble.

"Fine, go..." Nana sighed and gestured with her hand for him to move. She didn't even need to give her permission, he was going anyway. She slumped back in front of her fire. The flames twirled around, grew and diminished.

"Pretty..." she whispered to herself with a small smile.

Nana, the chimaera. Nana, the fire user.

* * *

The ninja continued their road, somewhat slowed by the addition of yet another captive. Sumairi was inside of Black Ant. Ever since he was captured he bit his tongue. Ayumi was as quiet as before, forced once more on Kankuro's back heading towards an unknown city, but this time she had more to think about. Some of her confusion was lifted. Sumairi was Suna's enemy. Since he was hers definately, she had reason to trust the Suna shinobi a little more. Her thoughts dwelled upon her memories.

''_You are a chimaera,'_ what does this mean?'

The air was dryer, the flora began to change. The amount of trees diminished gradually, being replaced by prickly bushes and rough grasses. Although night had set upon them they kept pushing their tired limbs to continue. Gaara wanted to lead them as close to Suna's borders as possible. After hours of running in relative silence they had finally reached the last stream that seperated the Country of River's from Suna. It was lovingly called the Lifestream because it had saved Suna traveller's on more than one occasion from dying of dehydration, being the first source of water coming from the desert.

"Let's set up camp here," Gaara said. He let his gourd down and grabbed a scroll from one of his pockets to summon a carrion pigeon. With a miniature inkwell and pen he wrote down a coded message about their return and the events for Temari. She would sent a cell to meet them for sure. For now they were on their own. They ate a tasteless meal of powerfood, something similar to a granola bar packed with nutrition to quickly diminish their tiredness.

"Are you sure you don't want me to guard, Kazekage-sama?" Rin said before she was laying down.

"No, it's alright," Gaara responded.

Kankuro lay down on his mat with a deep satisfied 'aaah', determined to make the best of the few hours of sleep he was going to get. Meanwhile Ayumi had nothing but grass to lay down on. She patted the ground in search of a soft spot. She didn't have to look for long as Gaara come over to her.

"Use mine," he said and handed her his sleepingbag. She gladly accepted and bowed her head in thanks. Kankuro watched the scene with one eye and grinned quietly to himself. Gaara did not often make these acts of kindness! Matsuri must be seeing green with jealousy by now.

'The first bed I had in months...' Ayumi sighed blissfully as she crawled into Gaara's sleepingbag. 'Well, not really a bed, but close enough.' It was pretty big, but best of all warm and soft. She snuggled into the padded fabric before suddenly gasping.  
'Kami, you could say I'm sleeping in the bed of a guy... I don't- I don't think I ever did.'  
Yet the novelty of this revelation quickly ebbed away as sleep took over her body. Gaara could tell by her breathing when she was out. He was leaning with arms crossed against a tree, hiding in its shadows as he watched over his teammates. The moon offered enough light for him to see. He glanced from Ayumi to the encased Sumairi. They were related, yet they did not seem to be comrades. His head told him Ayumi was affiliated to Suna's enemy nonetheless, to _his _enemy... But... Inside of his heart he didn't fully believe this. He could sense no evil from her. Would this innocence be dissolved once she had her memory back? As military leader of Suna he couldn't afford any risks on this matter. He somehow felt reluctant to use the gruesome interrogation methods he was surely going to apply on Sumairi. But it was a dream thinking the Council would agree on this matter. Now they were close to home. Whatever may, he was bound to find himself in a confrontation with the old geezers. Damn, ploughing through piles of paperwork seemed a relaxing task compared to dealing with these aristocrats. They didn't seem to agree often. He sure was happy he made the decision to sneak out of Suna on this mission rather than consult them.  
'Poor Temari,' he smirked to himself, 'I let you handle all of their wrath over my dissappearance. I'll make it up to you somehow.'

* * *

Snake stood still perched upon a tree branch. His red split tongue danced between his lips. The ninja had stopped for the night. He chuckled to himself. He would wait a little longer... Until they felt a little safer...


	9. Chapter 9: Blind Sight

Chapter 9: Blind Sight

Ayumi shot up from her position panting. When her eyes started to water she suppressed the tears from falling.

'It's just a dream... a bad dream, that's all,' she told herself out of breath while brushing a hand through her hair.  
'Kami, I could use something to drink now.'

Calming herself, she sat still to listen around her. The ninja hadn't stirred when she woke up. Everything was quiet apart from the wind softly blowing and the water running further away. Careful not to make too much noise she slid out of Gaara's sleeping bag.

'How will I get to that river? I can't see a damn thing,' she sighed to herself. 'I guess I'll rely on my senses and luck. I don't want to wake anyone up.'

While biting on the tip of her tongue out of concentration she uncertainly placed her first steps. The ground under her bare feet was dry and the grass brittle. It stung a little as she walked. In her mind's eye she envisioned the area around her. She imagined the clearing where they had positioned themselves, the sleeping forms of the Suna ninja, and the path that lay before her. Slowly she proceeded, completely oblivious to the fact she wasn't the only one who was awake.

Gaara looked at her with mild curiosity. Where did she think she was heading? He would follow her to make sure she wouldn't get away or be put in harm's way. As soft as a shadow, like only ninja could be, he walked after her at a safe distance. Amazed he saw how she turned right just before colliding with a tree, how she seemed to know to keep left to evade the three brambles. Nearly stumbling every time she miraculously avoided hitting something. In all his life Gaara had only met a few blind people, but he never witnessed they had skills like this. With his astonishment aroused he continued to track her movements, understanding now what she was heading for. Around the river the vegetation was thicker than in the clearing where they made camp. Here grew a few mighty oaks, their great arms looming over the water, branching into many fingers reaching out to touch the cool liquid. Gaara decided those thick branches would make an excellent outlook point from where he could both keep an eye on the camp and on Ayumi.

'The water is close,' Ayumi told herself only a few yards removed from the river's bank. She walked forward and suddenly yelped. Gaara stood up tensed and looked if she was hurt. Ayumi held up her left foot.

"Damn you, rock," he heard her complain. So she wasn't a mute. It seemed she was recovering during their trip to Sunagakure. When she neared the edge of the river her feet left prints in the clay ground. Ayumi kneeled forward with her face hovering above the water's surface. Gaara could see her faint reflection from this close distance. Her shoulders began to shake and her frail form cringed.

'She's crying,' he realized, and caught himself pitying the girl.

Ayumi sniffled a last time and wiped the tears with the back of her hand. She cupped water and began splashing it in her face and drinking some afterwards.

'This is just what I needed, some refreshing water to cool my thoughts.' The night was serene. She began to relax, even letting a small smile play on her lips. Her senses broadened, a feeling she was only subconsciously aware of. She let her feet slide into the river and began to lazily kick them back and forth.

'I wonder what we'll have for breakfast in the morning. I hope not those tasteless bars again. Maybe they'll get a fire going and cook something up! But did they take anything with them? Oh wait... I could... If I could catch some fish.'

Ayumi smiled at herself for having such a daring idea. As if she could catch something with her condition. But at least she could have some fun trying?

She pulled her feet out of the water and crouched down. At first Ayumi only felt the water's cool radiating in her face. But then... she became aware of something odd. She could _see_ in a strange fashion. She felt the _flow _of water, so to speak. Making out different shapes that dwelled in the stream which blocked the normal current. These shapes had their own circuits within them, by which she could separate their distinct forms from the river water. She stretched out her arms to reach one, her fingers strangely defined by her own blood circuiting through her body. Led by an urge to make wavy motions with her fingers, she found she could manipulate the flow. It whirled around without direction. Excited by this discovery she decided to push it further. Biting the tip of her tongue, Ayumi envisioned that she could stretch out this new extension of herself around the fish-shape, forming a ball. The fish noticed something was off and started swimming. Ayumi yelped and hastened the movements with her hands to follow the fish around. Gaara's eyes widened. Something splashed out of the river's surface. An oval-shaped ball of water with a frantic carp trapped inside it. The bubble's shape changed irregularly as Ayumi's hands danced around. The carp gave it his all and burst out of the bubble, diving back into the river, leaving Ayumi dumfounded.

"That was crazy!" she spoke out loud and laughed in marvel. She shook her hands to get rid of excess water. "Though...just how did I do that?"

Gaara jumped down from the tree branch and landed close to her, taking Ayumi by surprise.

"You!" she exclaimed before realizing she didn't actually know who was out there, although she had a hunch. "You – w-who are you?"

"It's me, Sabaku no Gaara," Gaara answered, his voice so dark and velvety, it sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Whenever he talked, and he said little, she found herself tilting her head in his direction. Being blind, somebody's voice made a big impression on her image of a person. But now was not the time to let herself be influenced by something trivial like this. He gave her a scare appearing out of nowhere, and besides that had violated her privacy by not making himself known earlier.

"You've spied on me!" she said accusingly.

"You've wandered off," he remarked dryly.

"W-well... That doesn't give you the r-right to stalk people, it's rude you know," she stammered and crossed her arms in defiance.

"If my prisoner would surrender to her role as captive and stay put I would not be forced to follow her," he replied with the smallest hint of humor. 'A prisoner is trying to make me look like a felon? What a girl.'

Ayumi said nothing but stared into the emptiness somewhere next to Gaara, a light frown playing on her forehead and lips formed into a pout. Gaara took a step into her direction and stared intently at her face.

"What were you doing just now?" he inquired.

"I-I..." she mumbled raising her eyebrows, "I'm not really sure, I... I just... I mean I don't know how I am like this. This is my first experience. I think."

"Do you have a bloodline limit?"

"A what?" she replied confused.

"A special ability shared by members of a certain family. It can include the ability to draw from your chakra without the need of seals," he explained in his usual monotone.

"Owh uhm, no? I'm pretty sure I'm just normal," she replied blinking her eyes.

"What was it like?"

"I felt... like I could _see... _but it's gone now." It looked as if the girl spoke the truth. Suddenly Gaara remembered something he had wondered about.

"What is your name?"

"It's Ayumi," she replied.

"I'd like to say it's nice to meet you, but you were found in difficult circumstances."

"Why? What did I do? Where are you taking me?" she fired at him worried.

Gaara sighed and looked around him before he averted his pale green eyes back on Ayumi. She seemed so clueless. He didn't think he ever met somebody who displayed all their thoughts through their facial expression like her. Perhaps because he was raised amongst professionals who never showed their true colors due to severe training. He himself might be the best at concealing his emotions from all. These type of people had something disarming. Like Naruto, so honest and driven, you had to like him at some point.

"We were exploring clues about an enemy base, that's where we found you. We're investigating a series of disappearances and attacks. You seem to be affiliated with the people we are looking for."

"Me? I swear, I don't know what I did wrong. I'm... I'm confused," she replied and the frown deepened.

"What do you know of Sumairi?" Gaara continued unaffected.

"I can't stand him. He unnerves me. I keep having these flashes, I think he kidnapped me. I have memories of being locked away in a prison of glass for a long time," she explained bitterly.

'Kidnapped? If this is true, it seems she escaped. What interest do they have in her?' Gaara wondered.

"He is your enemy," she said, suddenly serious, "and so is he mine. Let me help you. Maybe I can remember something... something about him... that will be useful. Sakura mentioned an interrogation. It's information you want, right?"

"Hm," Gaara said in thought. She spoke bravely but he could see she was shaking at the thought of being interrogated. She seemed true, but he couldn't give her his word just yet.

"You're telling me you might be a victim in this situation. I want to believe you, but your memories will reveal that once you have them back. We need to explain why you were found so close to an enemy base."

She nodded understandingly.

'I just want to be free. I'll do anything to avoid being locked away and hurt like I have been.'

"You can tell me everything you know once we are in Sunagakure," Gaara continued. His clothes rustled as he stepped closer. "Here, take my hand. I'll lead you back. You should rest more."

She lifted her own hand in search for his in the darkness, wondering why she couldn't sense the presences around her like before.

"Got you," Gaara said as he grasped her hand. She smiled. God, what a cute smile, he had to admit. He pulled her to her feet and was about to turn around back to camp, if she didn't squeeze his hand lightly. Gaara turned his face back and stared down at the girl who was almost a head shorter. He looked past her lashes at her eyes. As usual they were unfocused, and their milky blues were strange, but not ugly. They resembled Hinata's eyes in some way.

"Uhm... Gaara-san... thank you," she said softly. For a moment he was taken aback, he wasn't expecting thanks from someone he imprisoned.

"It's nothing," he replied monotonously, wondering what was there to thank for to begin with. They started walking back.

"WHAT THE- STOP!" Kankuro shouted from afar. A hiss drifted their way through the thicket.

"Get him away from Black Ant!" Rin exclaimed, "where's Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara didn't stop to think. He swooped Ayumi up in his arms and rushed forward. She wrapped her arm around his neck and felt her heart thump loudly. Something bad was going on. They broke into the clearing. A large, bulky half-reptile was leaning over Black Ant, a tail swaying behind him which deflected the kunai Matsuri shot. Kankuro had his chakra strings attached to Black Ant and they were playing tug-of-war.

"What strength," Kankuro huffed through gritted teeth. Black Ant's construction started to moan under the pressure. Gaara let Ayumi down.

'I'm not taking any risks,' he thought and sternly demanded Ayumi to stay still while he threw a barrier of sand over her. Ayumi barely dared to breathe. In this quiet darkness she began to concentrate on signs of the battle outside.

"There it is!" she whispered. That same feeling. Outside of this sand shell she could _sense_ the flow of humidity in the air and the solid forms of humans, the figure of a person trapped within a puppet, the tiny shapes of all the thousands of leafs and grass sprigs that surrounded them.  
'Is it because of the water?'

Black Ant heaved and cracked.

"He's trying to get to Sumairi!" Kankuro called out.

"Take this!" Matsuri screamed as she threw a giant shiruken at him. But the lizard-man jumped up to evade the attack, forcing Kankuro's feet to slid across the ground.

"I need everything I have to stop Black Ant from breaking!" he said laboriously. Gaara's sand shot forward and got hold of the tail. He dragged Snake into the moonlight while Kankuro did his best to control Black Ant. Their opponent turned around facing them with a loud hiss as Gaara's hold on his tail tightened.

"MIYUGA!" Rin shreeked in horror. All of them fell silent flabbergasted. "Miyuga, it's you isn't it!?"

The half-breed before them which resembled Veeran indeed shared the facial features of the missing Suna shinobi. Gaara noticed as well he had the metallic plug on the base of his neck.

"Owh, Miyuga! It's me, Rin, your sister!" she continued and stepped forward with her hand clutching her heart.

Snake let out a long hiss.

"I'm Snake," he said coolly.

"Miyuga, that isn't true! I can see through this... this ugly disguise- it's-it's you!" she pleaded, "don't you think your own sister would recognize you? We shared our apartment together, don't you remember who I am?"

Snake remained silent. Gaara's sand started to creep over his tail to wrap itself his waist, but before that could happen Snake cast his tail off.

"NO!" Rin shouted in horror.

He gritted his jagged teeth and looked with yellow eyes down on the puppet which contained Sumairi. With a loud grunt and trembling arms he ripped open Black Ant and revealed Ayumi's kidnapper within. Quickly his flexible arm shot inside and pulled Sumairi out.

"Black Ant!" Kankuro exclaimed and pulled hard on the chakra strings. Having got what he came for Snake let go of the puppet and it fell back in Kankuro's hands. "I'll get you for this," Kankuro shot at him icily and grabbed his Scorpion scroll. Matsuri was readying a set of explosive kunai and Gaara was about to let his sand lurge forward. Rin ran forward in between them.

"Please, no! My little brother," she begged them on the verge of tears. Then she turned to Snake who stared at her with bewilderment.

"Miyuga..." she whispered and stepped forward reaching out for his arm. Her touch burned his skin. He hissed and smacked her. Rin flew through the air, skidded across the ground and came to a halt with her back against a tree. She groaned and remained limp. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth.

"I'm Snake," he repeated bitterly and jumped away with Sumairi across his shoulder.

"So long suckers!" the scarred fiend called out to them.

"Shall I pursue them, Gaara?" Kankuro asked on edge.

"It's a risk," Gaara replied, "Rin needs medical attention. This was supposed to be an observatory mission, and we've already been in two fights. We'll retreat for now. We will conduct research on this tail to see who we are dealing with."

He looked at the twitching tail still covered in his sand.

'Lizards have the ability to grow back their tails, I made a mistake grabbing him there.' In that moment they heard the call of a hawk.

"It's Toma, Temari-hime's messenger!" Matsuri called out pointing at the sky. Gaara lifted the barrier shielding Ayumi and held up his right arm. The predator bird landed graciously on it. He untied the small parchment attached to its claw and threw the bird back into the air. It circled them a few times before it returned in the direction of Sunagakure. He opened the scroll.

"It's from Temari, she's coming to meet us," Gaara said.

"Thanks for that, with a prisoner and Rin unconscious we need it," Kankuro huffed, pissed off over the situation.

"Tomorrow we'll be home," Gaara said. His two other teammates nodded. Gaara let Ayumi on his back and Kankuro carried Rin. They weren't going to waste anymore time.

Just half a mile from where they had made camp the Land of River's came to an end and they suddenly entered the desert. The everchanging dunes, cast in silver moonlight, the dust prickling his eyes and nose. Gaara sighed in relief. He was home.

* * *

A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I want to apologize for my irregular updates. I've been sick for nearly five months, in and out of the hospital for tests etc. That really got me down. But I'm okay now :) I'm doing my best to keep up.  
How's the story going for you? Drop me a comment if you like!

Love, Demiyah


	10. Chapter 10: Mind-Scan

Chapter 10: Mind-Scan

They spent hours going up and down the dunes, slaving themselves tirelessly. The sun was at its hottest, bashing down on them without mercy. They stopped at the top of a particularly big dune. About ten miles left from here were the Chunin exam grounds: a huge pit in the desert with an underground river and a maze of tunnels that continued for miles The perfect home to all kinds of ferocious beasts. The five nations rotated with the designation of the Chunin exam location. At the moment the exams were held every three months. It would be Suna's turn in nine.

"Look," Gaara said. Kankuro panted when he reached Gaara's side. Squinting his eyes, he stared in the direction of Gaara's gaze. Small specks speeded their way, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.

"Temari," Kankuro breathed with a lopsided grin. "Well, what are we waiting for."

He jumped over the edge and let himself slide down the slope sandsurfing. Some of the dunes were up to forty yards high. It gave Ayumi a thrill when she and Gaara slid down every time. The wind in her hair, rushing past her ears, her stomach tumbling. Gaara held on to her well and with her arms around his neck she felt quite safe. She only wondered how come he never showed any sign of fatigue. They were running for eight hours and the guy didn't so much as break a sweat! It was amazing. Little did she know Gaara used part of his sand to lift Ayumi and divide the weight. Not like she was heavy, but it was more comfortable like this across this unsteady terrain.

'Every step brings us closer to Sunagakure,' Ayumi mused, 'will I be put behind bars like a criminal and examined like a _thing_ more than a _human_?' The thought terrified her.

"Gaara-san… Are you going to hurt me?" she mumbled from behind his back, only audible to his ears. Involuntarily she tightened her hold.

_No, I won't._

He wanted to say it. Yet he couldn't find the conviction that his words wouldn't be turned into lies once they reached the city. Thus he chose to refrain from responding. She bit her lip and frowned at his silence.

Removed from the dewy forest the sources of humidity were scarce and Ayumi's _sense of seeing _didn't reach far. The sunshine, reflected by the sand, evaporated water in the air rapidly this hour of day. To her it felt like they were moving within a bubble, consisting only of their group. Misty flares of humidity exuding from their skin tailing their forms. Gaara's muscles flexed with every movement he made. He seemed so... in control. This was the stamina of a trained shinobi, she realized. Any normal person would have collapsed by now. Hell, she knew she would.

About fifteen minutes passed before they reached Temari.

"Yo! Gaara, Kankuro," she waved with a grin. They stopped a few yards in front of each other.

"Kankuro, what's that? Is Suna's famous bachelor nearly breaking from a morning jog?" she pointed at his hot forehead. Kankuro chuckled shortly.

"Rin, you ought to lose some weight," he joked to divert the blame.

"You jerk," his older sister laughed and smacked him playfully, "don't listen to him, Rin. It's because he's been stuffing himself with junkfood whenever he's off duty. How are you?"

"I'm hanging on, don't worry," Rin said with one eye opened. A sharp pain cut through her side when she talked. Temari nodded understandingly.

"Ryokan, Sekka, take care of the Kazekage's guard," Temari commanded two of the three shinobi that followed her. Ryokan and Sekka had aided Sakura curing Kankuro of Sasori's poison. Along with Rin they were part of a small unit which had received special medical training from Sakura and Shizune shortly after the Fourth Ninja War came to an end. Of course Konaha was still leading in the arts of medical jutsu, but Suna's expertise had greatly advanced by exchanging information with their ally. The blonde who still sported her trademark pigtails averted her eyes from Rin to Gaara.

"And who is this?" she inquired curiously as she walked around to have a better look.

"I'm Ayumi, nice to meet you," the girl replied flashing as good a smile as she could muster. Temari took notice of her blindness.

"So this is the girl you mentioned, Gaara," Temari said, stating the obvious, and snorted a laugh, "the Kazekage carried her himself. You didn't include much information, but I suppose this means she's quite a catch."

"I'll explain on the way," Gaara replied curtly. He needed to get his sister up to date in private so Ayumi was handed to Otokaze, a brownheaded jounin with spiky hair in all directions and the eyes of a hawk. Ayumi didn't like being treated as a piece of luggage, but what could she do?

* * *

"Wow, this is a lot to comprehend," Temari exclaimed after Gaara finished talking. "You're telling me you found their secret base – already destroyed, this girl, you were attacked and captured some whack-o named Sumairi, and then a reptillian who strongly resembled Miyuga busted open Black Ant?"

"Yes," Gaara replied dryly, as though implying there was nothing wondrous about it.

"Shall we take Ayumi straight to the Intelligence Department?" his sister asked worry-faced. Gaara didn't twitch a muscle, but she could tell from his eyes he had his doubts. Temari sighed and looked across her shoulder at Otokaze who was carrying Ayumi. They were still way back, good, because what she was about to say next was not for their ears.

"I see, you think she's innocent... You know Gaara, you will have a hard time defending yourself to the Council if we don't question her. They've been nothing but a pain in the ass since you're gone," she continued and suddenly stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.  
"Look, council member Yuudai is onto something. He didn't appreciate you overruled their veto. He and his buds are like sharks waiting to smell blood. If you do something now which others could interpret as being _not-so-faithful_ to Suna's best interests, they'll get you for it."

Gaara nodded. He would be a fool not to heed Temari's advice. Some of the elder members held on to the old order. The ninja-way before the peace. They argued that peace was a threat to Suna. They reasoned peace would dull the mind of a warrior, if not sharpened by a fight regularly, tainting the skills of Suna's shinobi force eventually, leaving them bare to sudden assaults. Plus as the amount of commissions decreased, so did Sunagakure's wealth as military centre of the country, eventually decreasing their resources to fund militia and technology research. Yes, peace stimulated trade and the exchange of information between allied countries, but clients had to pay _more_ for missions, and there was a whole legion of ninja expecting a monthly pay. Perhaps somewhere inside those councilmembers were even _pleased_ with the recent international disturbances, so that Sunagakure's services would be hired more often again.

"We'll go to my office," Gaara said, "inform council member Fuji first." At least he was their ally. Kankuro also held a seat within the Council. The three of them would be able to make a fist to anyone who disagreed.

"I'll be going then, Gaara," Temari said with and ran ahead towards the village entrance.

* * *

Soon thereafter they were inside the Kage's office. Their group had managed to return swiftly without too many obstacles on their way from the village perimeter to the Kage Tower. A good thing, since Gaara wanted as little attention possible for now. A chair scraped across the floor and Ayumi was told to sit there, her back towards the doorway. Gaara was seated opposite from her, leaning on the mahogany wooden surface of his desk with his elbows, his chin resting against his intertwined fingers while they waited. His bodyguards were on either side of the door, unmoving like stone, but clearly on edge. Gaara observed Ayumi quietly and she was aware of his piercing stares.

'Her breathing is slightly more erratic than normal, so she must comprehend what is going to happen.'  
He thought about the poisonous truth serum at the inquisitors disposal, the acupuncture techniques intended at damaging organs and the mind-wrecking extraction _jutsu _used by Suna's Intel Department.

After a few more minutes passed Temari returned with the aristocrat. Fuji was a man in his fifties. He had a strong jaw-line with a deep cleft in his chin, a scar running across his nose from earlier battles and darkbrown hair specked with silver framed his face. He was dressed in a dark blue toga.

"Kazekage-sama," he acknowledged Gaara with a short bow, and continued with his eyes falling on Ayumi's back, "this is the captive?"

Gaara nodded in response and rose from his desk.

"Yes, I assume Temari debriefed you on the situation. This is Ayumi. She has told me that she was held prisoner herself. Her behavior and our account with an individual named Sumairi lead me to believe she has told the truth. Although yet to be confirmed, I believe she was tortured in captivity. I want to offer her refuge in Suna. When she recovers her full memory she'll be of aid to us."

"Forgive me Kazekage-sama, I understand you think this woman innocent but realize your word is not enough... If we would take her to the Intel-squad..-"

"That will not be needed," Gaara replied firmly stepping around his desk. Surprised at his resolve Temari exchanged a quick look with Kankuro. He eyed her back with the same worry, the lines around his mouth tensed. If her youngest sibling was convinced of something she knew how stubborn he could get. This could turn into an ugly dispute. She didn't like to admit it, but she knew Fuji had a point. Surely Gaara wasn't intending on letting her off the hook this easily?

"We need some form of proof besides simple _words_ that she's not a liability to the village," Fuji countered.

"I will take responsibility," Gaara continued. "She needs memory therapy. Intel's techniques could permanently harm her."

"I agree their methods are somewhat unrefined."

"People have _died_ after extraction," Kankuro added in Gaara's defence with his arms crossed.

"True... True... But you must see this too, if we don't deliver _proof_ than how are the people and the rest of the Council going to be convinced?" Fuji exclaimed throwing his arms into the air. Gaara's eyes grew darker but he had to acknowledge the truth in Fuji's claim. Unexpectedly a clear voice startled them out of their discussion. Each turned their head towards the source of this interruption.

"I'll do it," Ayumi stated defiantly, "interrogate me."

"It's dangerous!" Kankuro blurted, convinced she was unaware of what she was asking for.

"I've done nothing wrong. This is the only way to proof myself, isn't it?" she insisted. "I'll face this test of yours, but I expect my freedom once its over."

"What a rude woman!" Fuji stammered aghast. He didn't expect the blind girl to suddenly show bravery, let aside start making demands.

"Deal," Gaara replied without any expression. So she was going to face her problems head on? The right choice, he thought, as simply accepting Suna's interrogation already lifted part of the allegations.

"Bring the interrogator," he commanded.

Kankuro exited the room to follow his order. Admittedly this interrogation routine sounded bad. _Really bad_. However, Ayumi was prepared to go to extremes for her freedom.

'I want to pick up my life again... _that_, and revenge,' she mused while she fiddled with her fingers. It didn't take long for Kankuro to return. He entered the Kage's office with a cocky grin, hands casually tucked away in his pockets as he walked to Gaara's side with big strides.

"And? Where's the interrogator?" Fuji asked looking around him.

"Come in!" Kankuro called out.

They were each surprised to see the long-haired blonde in purple miniskirt and ditto colored top enter the room.

"Geez, I just arrived and I'm put to work already," she huffed with a confident smile and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Ino!" Temari thought aloud.

"Good to see you guys," she coed and stepped forward.

"A Yamanaka!" Fuji muttered, "you'll be able to look inside her mind."

"I sure am," she snorted and looked from Ayumi to Gaara. He nodded at her.

"Proceed."

Ayumi didn't know what to expect. She drew in her breath and clenched her teeth, expecting something painful to happen. She gasped when all the girl did was place her hand on her forehead. Ino's chakra leaked into her body. It worked like a sedative, pushing Ayumi into a trance. Ayumi felt Ino's presence descent into her.

Ino landed in a black space, water coming up to her knees. Around her were high metal closets. There were no doors to cover the front. Files were dangling from a long railing inside the closet that were interlinked and stretched on beyond what Ino could see. The files at shoulder height. A faint light fell around her, emitted from her own soul.

'Odd… so much water in the subconsciousness…' she thought as she took a good look of her surroundings.  
The files all looked the same. Taupe with sheets of paper inside. The pages of Ayumi's life. She waded through the water, row after row, in the darkness of Ayumi's brain.

'There isn't a lot of color in her cognitive state. She must have gone blind at a young age,' Ino realized. She looked right and left as she proceeded. Her eyes fell on a peculiar set of files. They were red, apart from one black file at the end, and each was sealed with yellow tape that spelled _CONFIDENTIAL _in black letters.

'This is it!'

Her hand plucked a red file from the rail. With the kunai from her pocket she slid open the seal to reveal a stack of papers. Together they formed a huge journal on Ayumi's latest years. Ino, a trained Yamanaka, had no issues scanning through this amount of information at computer-like speeds. Real-time didn't matter in the cognitive state as little as it did in dreams. Hours could take place within the course of mere minutes. She quickly went through all five red files. Her hand reached for the last file, the black one. The seal broke easily. Ayumi definitely wasn't a ninja, because then she would've been taught how to erect stronger barriers. She expected more of the same, so when Ino noticed the opposite she drew in her breath audibly. The content was encrypted. The symbols danced before her eyes. It was an advanced coding.

'I can't decypher this right now. This must be because her synapses are deranged. She suffered a great trauma,' Ino realized startled, 'I have a lot of information on her life already, confirming she been kidnapped. But memories of her family and town are pushed away deeper, along with details of the time during her imprisonment. It sucks as well that she's blind... Only text, no images... Yet I could scar her soul if I dig any further.'

She hesitated. Would she push on? Basically she had found the evidence in support of Ayumi's case. But the information within the black file could be just what they needed…

'No! I'll not risk that she gets impaired,' she spoke to herself and released the _jutsu_.

Both girls panted when they returned to full consciousness. Ayumi gripped the edges of the chair not to lose her balance. Ino's presence inside her mind was gone, but the experience was draining.

"So?" Gaara asked Ino after she caught her breath.

"She really was kidnapped and locked away, they did nasty stuff to her," Ino explained and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of hand. Geez, this took a lot of energy after that exerting trek through the desert. She came as Konoha's ambassador in Shikamaru's absence. The super genius was needed in the preparation of the Chunin exam. Boy, all she wanted now was drop down on a bed and sleep.

"Then she is innocent," Gaara declared and looked at Fuji who responded with a curt nod. Ino was going to use a mind-release _jutsu _to pour the information she extracted onto a scroll. Then they had the evidence on paper. All the spectators would sign for having watched the extraction take place. The Council could make no more objections.

'Your turn, council member Yuudai,' Gaara thought.

"Uhm…" Ayumi started unsurely, her head tilted into Gaara's direction. "Will you keep your promise, Gaara- no... Kazekage-sama?"

He raised his eyebrows lightly. Yes, she didn't refer to him before with his proper title, but he only took real notice of this now.  
"Yes, I release you from custody, but for your own benefit you will stay under my supervision," he replied.

"Where will I stay?" Ayumi continued slowly.

"We got a spare room!" Kankuro jumped in. Temari gave her brother a weird look.  
"What? She's okay now, right?" he continued, at our house we'll be able to look out for her."

Temari scratched her neck and nodded her head in thought. "Yes, that's actually not such a bad idea!"

"Fine, let it be decided then," Gaara agreed.

Ayumi stood up from the chair and blinked her eyes. She was going to share the house with Kankuro, Temari and Gaara? What a crazy twist of her situation. The atmosphere in the room did a 180 degrees flip.

"You have spunk agreeing to an interrogation in a hostile environment," Temari said while stepping forward, "you know what, I think I like you." And with that she grabbed hold of Ayumi's hand.

"Come on, we'll leave the guys to their business, I'll get you installed in our home," Temari told her and pulled her arm. Ayumi stumbled after her out of the office. The men watched the girls leave with mouth's ajar at this sudden change. Albeit unexpected, this wasn't a bad turn of the situation, Temari thought. Another female to counterweight the male influence on the household? No objections, no objections to that at all. She loved her brothers to death, but they weren't good sport when it came to discussing girls issues. Ayumi seemed a little shy still, but that would pass surely. After all the girl had been through, a lively warm home would do her good.

"Girl, you're covered in dust!" Temari remarked, seeing the state of Ayumi's clothes.

"I can't remember how long I've gone without a shower," Ayumi admitted.

"Well, best we do something about that," Temari told her with a reaffirming smile. The boys could hear their chatter from the hallway drifting into the distance.

"That Temari," Kankuro shook his head in astonishment.

Fuji and the others started to leave the office, saying their farewells. Gaara eyes wandered towards the window. He stepped closer. Below he saw his sister leading Ayumi towards the market street, jabbering on about their town. Those two will get along within no time. But how about him? He looked at Ayumi, how she gently stroked the hair from her face which danced in the wind. She looked relieved, even a smile on her lips. He caught himself feeling glad. Why was he so curious to see the girls exit the Kage Tower anyway? He just saw them two seconds ago. Why would he care? He didn't care. He pushed the thought out of his mind. Paperwork, that's right. Regular Kage business. Simple and straightforward, besides all the politics, that is. Now that they returned it was back to normality. At least... that's what Gaara thought at the time being…

* * *

A/N:  
Thank you for reading! :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
I've been working on this chappie for the past three days. It was a pretty hard one to write for me, but I'm glad I've reached this point. Its time for some lighthearted diversions in the story I think... some shopping or karaoke (lol, Gaara and karaoke?) ... that kinda stuff.  
Last time I received a review from Yukira after a good month without any :) Thanks girl! I really appreciate it.  
Next week I have two university exams, but hopefully I will find time to give you all an update regardlessly.  
~ Take care ya'll! Demiyah


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